The latest in Cubitt House’s impressive expansion, The Barley Mow might just be the best location of the lot, on a street corner just up the road from Grosvenor Square. It’s a magnificent pub, split into a more casual downstairs boozer and a dining room upstairs, where chef director Ben Tish is working his usual magic.
The downstairs really feels spacious and light, with high ceilings helping to give a sense of grandeur. The 19th century building is actually Grade II listed and has been a pub for some two centuries, and Cubitt House has clearly spent a great deal of money on a faithful yet chic restoration. Upstairs, the dining room has a cosy, well-worn feel, whilst a royal blue colour palette and chandeliers contribute to a clubby atmosphere as the evening wears on.
Tish is an experienced operator, and he’s gone for a menu rooted in British classics, albeit with a pinch of Gallic influence. Pub snacks like the brown crab rarebit and sausage roll with brown sauce are top class - one could easily perch upstairs or down with a pint and a snack and enjoy a blissful lunch here. The Barley Mow also retains the British seafood focus of sister pubs like The Princess Royal in Notting Hill, with oysters, langoustines and steamed cockles on the menu, all of which are handled with care by the kitchen.
The ace in the hole here is the carvery, where daily roasted rare breed meats arrive tableside on a silver trolley with a variety of sides - like a Sunday roast, but everyday. Our lamb was magnificently cooked, served with the elastic pull of good aligot, and a beautiful glossy Madeira sauce.
Table side entertainment continues with crepe suzette and a baked Alaska, both flambeed by willing staff. Any pastry kitchen that can turn out baked Alaskas to order is something a bit special in our book. Cubitt House is really hitting a stride with this latest opening - certainly one of the best gastropubs in London.