The Hour Glass

Top class pub food

Beetroot, smoked eel, horseradish

When the food sourcing is done with care and the cooking is in a capable hand, nothing can beat a good old fashioned pub meal. The comforting element with an affordable drink menu is such a magical combination. Sadly, there are just not enough high quality food lead pubs around, but The Hour Glass is definitely one of them. The Hour Glass is a British pub located in Kensington, just a few footsteps away from the famous old Michelin building. This classy historic pub spreading across two floors, the ground floor is a classic drinking den while the top floors offer a full a la carte menu with table service.

Pork scratchings and apple sauce

Brown shrimps, hispi, radishes

Triple cooked beef dipping chips

The main of hake fillet was all about light and refreshing taste, the meat was tender and finely seasoned, wrapped with a layer of well cooked spinach and finished off with seaweed butter for that extra depth of flavours. The suckling pig was simply outstanding, it had the perfect crispy skin and the meat was still very moist. The cauliflower puree was as smooth as you can get and the black pudding added richness, all the elements in the dish linked up wonderfully, even the glazed carrot was cooked expertly, it was a highly accomplish plate of cooking. The desserts weren't as strong as the savoury courses, my banana brioche was fairly standard and lacked refinement, for example, the honeycomb was burnt.

Hake, seaweed butter, spinach

Suckling pig, black pudding, glazed carrot

Banana brioche pudding, peanut butter ice cream

Almond cake, blood orange, yoghurt sorbet

I really enjoyed the whole dining experience at The Hour Glass, the food was not fancy or sophisticated, it was just honest pub food done in a really high standard, using great ingredients. The pub at downstairs also seems like a great drink spot for the locals as it was buzzing for the whole night. There are some seriously good bar snacks on offer, the triple cooked beef dripping chips and pork scratchings were the highlight for me, this would be an ideal spot for anyone who need a drink or a relaxing meal after visiting the Kensington museums nearby. Finally a massive shout out to our waitress for her faultless service, her professionalism and enthusiasm was second to none.

Food 3.5/5

What I paid: 
£25 per head with a beer

Average cost without drinks and services:
£30

279-283 Brompton Rd SW3 2DY

http://hourglasspub.co.uk/