Beatifully decked out (inside and out) East London pub with good food, log fires and a riverside view
An impromptu need for a quick lunch out as was out and about led us to quickly nip into The Gun to try the bar snacks as a change of speed. I’ve found this to be a very good way of doing lunch more cheaply than full-blown out-dining and these offerings proved to get two people quite full-on sharing three snacks alone. This was, however, very good value to fill two people up completely for £20 at a very nice pub. As it gets colder, these lovely pubs with fireplaces will become more and more a haven.
The prize went to the lovely venison scotch eggs with spiced ketchup as these were fantastic – one of these on your own will actually fill you up quite nicely! The plaice goujons were agreeable as expected with homemade tartare and mayonnaise sauces and the sausage roll was pleasant but quite a heavy offering – lovely pastry but I thought would have been better with a lesser mound of meat in proportion.
Food Grade: 61%
A wonderful Sunday lunch had on this fourth visit to The Gun. The restaurant area continues to have that lovely mix of formality yet homeliness at the same time with lovely areas outside on the terrace to have drinks during the summer. This visit basically confirmed to me that this is one of the top places in London for a Sunday roast. The gravy’s and sauces were all in check which is a very important factor for me as is the state of the Yorkshire pudding – thankfully, here it is proudly done as one of the stars of the roast which I truly believe is correct to do and it was wonderfully soft on the inside, every so slightly crunchy on the outside and LARGE.
The Jerusalem artichoke was a nice touch to be served as a whole for everyone to take a leaf each and dip into the hollandaise sauce which I had not done before. The liver and bacon starter was a fair attempt by the pub to make notable and the meats were all done to a succulent and pleasing standard, all brought out to carve and share-alike. What was surprising was actually how wonderful the tortellini with cream and truffle was as well which, I don’t think anyone at the table of 6 was expecting.
All in all, this was a fine Sunday lunch indeed and definitely notable for anyone wanting a good Sunday roast if you can make it there. The view is also lovely here.
Food Grade: 73%
I have been to The Gun three times now but sadly only have found photos from the one occasion. This is a lovely pub on the north side of the Thames overlooking the O2 and although it is a little fiddly to get to, the interior is charming and split in to three components – a white table-clothed affair in the front room, a log fire, oak panelled living room split in to two areas at the back and an glass-roofed outdoor dining terrace area, where there is normally a queue of impatient people (especially in Summer) all vying to gain a place as no bookings for outside are taken – it’s first come, first served in order.
The food was done very well here and is not without skill. The main forte of this venue is the Sunday roast that they do – on a cold Sunday, having that done here would be an absolute given with supporting pre-lunch drinks at the bar or next to the fire. The food on this occasion was also highly pleasant with a simple, but well done steak tartare and they were even kind enough to provide some sauce béarnaise to go with my chips as I wanted to see how they did it there – the sauce was indeed done well and was freshly prepared which is a benchmark tick to be taken seriously. The fish was done well (although the risotto accompaniment was not my favourite) and overall it was all very doable. Certainly, Sunday lunch and even a dinner here is certainly worthy as a choice and with the relaxed feel of a pub, it is a highly pleasing option for virtually any situation.
Food Grade: 73%
My hobby-turned-passion began to evolve during my assignments to London where I was fortunate enough to be able to explore all the Michelin starred restaurants in my spare time and as a result, I gradually built up a catalogue of all these venues.
Leave a Review of this Restaurant