The Pig and the Butcher sits on a quiet corner and has wooden tables and benches outside, which reminded me a lot of Austria. I immediately felt at home when I stopped by for a beer on my first day. When I went inside to use the bathroom, I was charmed by the wooden simplicity of the room and decided I wanted to come back for dinner. So for my last evening in London, I booked a table and hoped to enjoy a leisurely meal by myself.
The Pig and the Butcher @Islington
I started with an IPA and ordered the watercress velouté with English asparagus and a crispy egg. It sounded substantial, but in reality it was a delicate soup with a bit of asparagus and the egg. The colors were amazing, the watercress velouté intensely green so that the egg yolk really popped.
watercress velouté with aspargus and crispy egg @The Pig and the Butcher
The asparagus was lovely, nicely grilled and still with a bit of bite. The velouté, however, was served too hot, and the mild peppery taste of the watercress got lost in the heat. Despite its beautiful and rich color, the soup tasted bland. The egg was perfectly crisp with a runny yolk, but I was surprised that the egg white was runny as well. Timing that might be tricky, but I do dislike a runny egg white. The presentation of the dish was wonderful. Too bad the taste did not match it.
Next came Cornish cod with wild sea vegetables and Jersey Royal potatoes. The fish was poached in its own liquid, the vegetables retained their bright color and were not overdone, and the potatoes, served with the skin on, sat in a light and creamy broth. This was a perfect spring dish, cooked beautifully and not too heavy in light of the coming summer. Yet again, I missed the seasoning. A bit more salt, or a splash of lemon, would have gone a long way.
Cornish cod and potatoes @The Pig and the Butcher
For dessert I chose the strawberry and clotted cream pavlova with hibiscus and nasturtium. The strawberries appeared as ice cream and two small slices of fruit. The hibiscus might have been in the yellow cream inside the clotted cream filling, and the nasturtium amounted to a single leaf on top. It looked lovely, but the taste was rather unremarkable. There seems to be a seasoning issue at The Pig and the Butcher. It is puzzling how something so beautiful can taste so bland.
strawberry pavlova @The Pig and the Butcher
Service was wonderful and my waitress took very good care of me. However, with two glasses of white wine and the complimentary service charge, the bill came to just below three digits. Not a cheap dinner for a gastro pub for one person. While it looks down to earth from the outside, The Pig and the Butcher is not the place for a budget meal. Unfortunately, although the effort was clearly there, the lack of seasoning left me underwhelmed. Yours, Pollybert
The Pig and the Butcher
80 Liverpool Rd, London N1 0QD
Tel: +44 20 7226 8304
Mon-Fri: 12:00—23:00, Sat: 09:00-23:00, Sun: 11:30—22:00
https://thepigandbutcher.co.uk/
