The Vine (Bar)

Top 10 things we discovered about The Vine pub when we visited:

1) The Vine in Kentish Town is a charming pub in a residential part of NW5, complete with an inviting beer garden and a glasshouse roof in the restaurant.
 
2) Heading to a pub on a Saturday night need not be a raucous, maddening experience in London. You can enjoy civilised conversations, fancy meal and no endless queuing at the bar.
 
3) There are large floral displays, glamorous chandeliers and what I would consider the longest candles you are ever likely to see at a pub. This is more of a romantic dining experience (in the restaurant area) than a feisty get-together with your mates following the Saturday football matches.
 
4) Avoid the bread, unless you are accompanied by plenty of apostles to share it with. It is extremely fresh and can literally feed a family of five. This is value for money with a capital V, F and M.
 
5) Even pubs have gone upmarket these days and use fancy Italian words like Cicchetti (it means bite-size appetisers, in case you didn’t already know).
 
6) Modern day influences permeate even into pub cuisine, and I never thought I would see a duck dish garnished with blackberries. Top marks to the chef for innovation.
 
7) When in doubt about wine matching, always plump for a Rioja to match your meaty dishes. Our Montesc Rioja was sturdy yet elegant and was more than a match for our duck and steak dishes.
 
8) Monday and Tuesday are BYO nights when dining. Once again, how innovative, organising BYOB nights at a pub. If you’re too lazy to bring your own wine, you can always rely on that trusty Montesc Rioja.

9) I’ve finally worked out why the West End is filled with tourists: because of pubs like The Vine. There’s BYO nights on Mondays and Tuesdays, Jazz nights on Wednesdays and disco nights on Thursdays; meaning, there’s absolutely no need to travel far from where you live from a great night’s entertainment (unless you live in south London possibly).
 
10) Do not leave the pub without wandering upstairs to check out their private dining rooms: the Highgate room and the Camden room; elegance personified. My friends, you are more than welcome to book these rooms for my upcoming birthday party....read more