The Best Pubs and Grub for Autumn Weekends
Where to eat, drink and hunker down as the nights draw in
There’s something unbeatable about this time of year. Weekends stretch lazily between woodland walks, Sunday roasts and the kind of long lunches that make you forget what time it is.
In celebration of the season, we’ve rounded up some of our favourite pubs and dining rooms across the UK - from martinis and oysters in Queen’s Park to proper Beef Wellingtons in Soho, Tarte Tatin in the Sussex Downs and the tiniest pub in Kent. Whether you’re staying local or escaping to the countryside, here’s where to settle in for autumn.
The Pig’s Ear, Chelsea - Fireside Pies & Pints
Nestled on Church Street, The Pig’s Ear is the Gladwin’s much-lauded pub in Chelsea. The pub is a gorgeous juxtaposition of countryside and city, with roaring fireplaces lit everyday, huge vintage chandeliers and antique french dressers and old barrels laden with fresh Irish oysters piled into enamel basins. It’s the perfect spot for a post-Battersea Park pint and pie (the pub has a pie on daily, made using ingredients from the kitchen ranging from prawn pies to beef and cauliflower cheese, and celeriac and mushroom - changing weekly and avoiding any unnecessary food waste).
35 Old Church St, London SW3 5BS
The Blue Ball | Bruton - pre-dinner sharpeners
The Blue Ball is a perfect pre-dinner drinks spot in gastro-epicentre Bruton, found in the beautiful Number One hotel. Perch on mismatched barstools for a cocktail or enjoy a good pint of locally brewed beer over a game of darts, before heading next door to Briar; the beautiful British restaurant from chef extraordinaire Sam Lomas.
https://www.blueballbruton.com
2 Coombe St, Bruton BA10 0EP
The Swan | Fittleworth - Tarte Tatin
Nestled amidst the picturesque hills of the South Downs lies The Swan Inn, a beautifully preserved 14th-century coaching inn, rich in tradition and style. Now autumn is here, Angus and his team have bought the legendary tarte tatin back onto the menu - the dichotomy of creamy vanilla ice cream and burnished, apple-caramel pastry crusts epitomising the taste of the season. Try a walk on the Sussex Down before hunkering down in the Inn for a long lunch with friends.
https://swaninnfittleworth.com
Lower St, Fittleworth, Pulborough RH20 1EL
Boys Hall | Kent - England’s smallest pub?
With centuries of stories layered throughout this lovingly refurbished 17th Century house, re-charge and relax in this intriguing boutique restaurant & rooms. Enjoy a leisurely meal in the beautiful dining room, but before that, make time to have a drink or two
in what may very well be the smallest pub in England! Boys Hall’s very own teeny tiny pub has draft beers, seasonal cocktails and their very own English Sparkling Wine, Seventeen Sovereigns, by the glass. Dust off a board game or tuck up in the dinky armchairs by the fire and above all; enjoy the warmest welcome and finest produce this county has to offer.
Boys Hall Rd, Willesborough, Ashford TN24 0LA
The Salusbury | Queen’s Park - martinis and oysters
Step into this recently rejuvenated Queen’s Park institution after an afternoon exploring this wonderful pocket of North London. Taken over by two mates and locals, the pub reopened at the end of the summer with serious kitchen talent, Tarryn Bingle, delivering
a very well-reviewed menu. As well as Tarryn’s modern European cooking, the pub also has an elite bar snack offering - try the fried parmesan churros and oysters with homemade hot sauce with a perfectly poured martini.
https://www.thesalusbury.co.uk
50-52 Salusbury Rd, London NW6 6NN
Sussex | Soho - proper beef Wellington
And so, to Soho, where one can find Sussex, the Gladwin’s most metropolitan outpost.. The perfect patch of rural living in the heart of London, Sussex is the city-based manifestation of their eternal ethos of what grows together goes together. The restaurant is famous for its stunning beef fillet Wellington, each made to order everyday with beef from their own herd of cattle, which grazes on their family vineyard in Sussex. Pair it with a glass of red from Richard Gladwin’s stunning wine list, and it’s a knockout meal by any and all accounts. For the full experience, book the chef’s table private dining room, with large crittal doors into the kitchen for the ultimate Wellington experience - a masterclass in making them, before the chefs fire them up and serve.
https://www.sussex-restaurant.com
63-64 Frith St, London W1D 3JW
The Potting Shed | Cotswold - award winning roasts
This idyllic country pub looks as though it has been plucked straight from a Cotswold postcard. With ancient stone fireplaces, gnarled beams and, most importantly, delicious, simple food and fine ales, it embodies the essence of a traditional pub. The menus celebrate
local and seasonal ingredients, showcasing creative British dishes, as well as good-old pub classics done right. Wrap up a long weekend in the Cotswolds with one of their famous Sunday roasts - acclaimed by many to be best in the area.
The St, Crudwell, Malmesbury SN16 9EW
Rabbit | Kings Road - hot chicks in Chelsea
Rabbit British Bistro recently celebrated a decade of culinary innovation while looking toward a more sustainable future and the restaurant saw a thoughtful refurb to celebrate. The new grill is fired up daily, slinging smoking steaks from the Gladwin’s own herd
and slow-turning, fat and golden rotisserie chickens that send irresistible smells swirling out onto the streets of Chelsea. Work up an appetite treading the boutique-lined pavements of The Kings’s Road, then pop in for the perfect refuel; a glass of The Gladwin’s very own fizz, rotisserie chicken and chips. Heaven.
https://www.rabbit-restaurant.com
172 King's Rd, London SW3 4UP
