The Baring
Islington, London
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Adam Symonds and Rob Tecwyn (former head chef at Dabbous) met while working at north London's Bull & Last, and The Baring is their personal take on a modern urban hostelry. Their aim to provide great food and drink in a no-fuss, relaxed atmosphere sets the standard for what a neighbourhood dining pub can and should do, offering a simple yet elegant interior that matches the straight-to-the-point cooking perfectly. It’s effectively a very successful contemporary bistro with the option of eating at the bar or at well-spaced plain tables. The short-choice carte (plus a blackboard special) reveals a zealous enthusiasm for properly fresh ingredients, with a winter dinner delivering full-flavoured and appealing Rhug Estate venison with smoked beetroot and parsnip latke, as well as roasted guinea fowl breast and a sausage of the leg partnered by hispi cabbage, grains and a rich gravy. There’s been praise, too, for a chalkboard lunch special of beef sirloin focaccia with salsa rossa, while everyone agrees that the undisputed showstopper is the (never-off-the-menu, we hope) quail shish, which comes with a dollop of garlicky yoghurt and a pool of pul biber (aleppo) chilli oil. To finish, there could be buttermilk pudding with rhubarb and oats, a steamed plum sponge with cold custard or Beaufort cheese and chutney. Service comes with a warm, light, friendly touch and the food’s full-frontal vigour is matched by a gutsy, mainly European wine list.
