Pub dining-2

The typical pub (if there is such a thing) has three separate areas: the public bar (or simply 'the bar'), which is essentially a drinking room, sometimes with games, often with locals in working clothes, and sometimes an animal or two; the saloon bar (or 'lounge", in some parts), where one may eat a relaxed meal in the company of locals; and the restaurant, which is somewhat removed from the drinking areas and offers a slightly higher standard of service. These names vary with the locale and aspirations of the owners, and not every pub has all three, but as a guide to good eating and drinking they are good to keep in mind. We tend to choose the lounge for simple meals and the restaurant when we plan to eat a full three-course meal.

The restaurant area of a typical village pub, insulated somewhat from the bar in the background

Because we place a very high priority on eating where the locals do, many of our noon and evening meals are in pubs. Not to be missed is the traditional Sunday "roast lunch", consisting of chicken, beef, pork, or lamb, with potatoes (usually two varieties) and vegetables (often the peas and carrots which are the staple of pub meals, though more interesting combinations of vegetables are becoming increasingly common), and Yorkshire pudding. The delicious, home-cooked food and the convivial atmosphere of a village getting together for lunch on a Sunday is a rare treat and a bargain as well at a cost of from four to six or seven pounds.

On the other hand, throughout Europe there are numerous chain restaurants, ranging from the American standbys McDonald's and Burger King to the English clones of Howard Johnson's: Little Chef, Happy Eater, and others. (Curiously, we've not seen a Wimpy's in the UK, although they still survive in some US cities -- probably because of their international flavor!). The following, from the Little Chef website, gives a good idea of the marketing strategy of these fast-food restaurants and strikes a very familiar note.

Little Chef is the largest roadside restaurant chain in Britain with outlets nationwide, including many close to the country's most popular tourist attractions. Every year, more than 20 million people eat at Little Chef restaurants.

While England's fast food chains are, like their counterparts in the US, quick, convenient, and (sadly) consistent,

we find it both exceedingly more satisfying and much less expensive to shop at the local bakery or meat market, or even at one of Great Britain’s chains of mega-stores, like Tesco, Sainsbury’s, and ASDA (Wal*Mart’s English subsidiary). For example, at Burger King a double cheeseburger costs two pounds ($3.62), while a warm Cornish pastie (beef, potato, and gravy in a homemade pastry) purchased at a local bakery costs 79 pence ($1.43). And no one needs to be reminded that a diluted artificial flavor and corn syrup drink from a fast food restaurant costs considerably more than a healthier choice purchased at a bakery or a neighborhood shop. Save your money for a home-cooked dinner in a good pub!

The traveler should also be aware that many of England's pubs are, in fact, chain restaurants like Appleby's and 99Restaurants, offering a quasi-pub ambiance with generic prepared foods. For example, Greenall's Group is Britain's largest pub chain, with over two thousand pubs. Greenall's and other chains, which appear to serve pre-packaged entrees, like what one can buy in the frozen food sections of our super markets, are J.D. Wetherspoon's and Harvester. Don't get us wrong; these pubs are usually very clean, and the quality of their food and ales is consistent, if not outstanding. Often, given the convenience of the pub and the affordable price, this solution is a quite satisfactory alternative. In fact, we look forward to a farewell lunch at the J.D. Wetherspoon's in the departure lounge at Heathrow. In the countryside, though, let the locals or The Good Pub Guide help you choose a good place to eat and drink.