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PRINCELY ARRIVAL
The Prince 59 Kynaston Road (behind Church St.) N16 0EB. Tel: 020 7923 4766
Opening Times - Normal Pub Hours Babies & Children Welcome. Party Room.
The meaning of the term ‘gastro pub’ will always be open to debate. Some
people reserve it for all pubs offering a high standard of cuisine - more restaurant than
pub. Personally, I perceive it as being a pub probably run by an individual with a real
love of food, who understands that customers now want a more aesthetically pleasing,
non-sexist, racially mixed environment with a varied choice of honestly prepared food and
a decent wine list. A place where men can drink wine without having their sexuality called
into question.
The Prince, formerly the Prince of Wales, is a welcome arrival on the Stoke Newington
pub scene. In the current climate of local back street pubs closing in droves due to high
rents imposed by breweries and large pub companies, it is heartening when someone has the
courage to transform a tired old boozer into a relaxed but sophisticated gastro pub -
which meets all the standards I have mentioned. The Prince has gone for the modern look,
but happily has not ended up as a ‘Slug and Lettuce’ or ‘All Bar One’
clone. An attractive zinc counter has been built over the original horseshoe shaped bar. A
rich claret colour on the walls and everything else gives substance to the stripped down
effect. A clear glass partition between the bar and the restaurant also serves as a wine
rack and draws one into the more serious eating area next door.
Con Maguire, the convivial host at The Prince, attracts a very Stokey mix of hip
newcomers, old and new bohemians and locals. The range of draught beer is small but
tailored to the clientele and includes SteIIa, Staropramen and Hoegaarden. There is a good
range of Belgian bottled beers, including Chimay, Duel, and Leffe at £2.95. Bottles of
Paulaner (£3.25), a Weiss beer, are served with lemon wedges in stylish glasses. The wine
list is impressive, a well chosen selection from France and the rest of Europe with some
up- to-the-minute New World wines. This is hardly surprising as the owners of The Prince
are also behind the Cooler, the high quality food emporium on Church Street. The list
ranges from a very drinkable French Chardonnay and Grenache Merlot, both at £8.95 a
bottle, to a Mount Hangi Ghiran, a Pinot Gris from Australia, and a Cabernet Sauvignon
Alber I Noya from Spain £18.95.
Eating at The Prince is not a formal affair. There are classy snacks - a mezze plate of
luscious olives, nutty hummous, artichokes, cornichons and sun-dried tomatoes costs,
£4.00, and salami may be added on request. A substantial steak sandwich is £5.00. Real
sausages with garlic mash and red onion marmalade is £7.50 and vegetarian sausages are
available. There is a children’s menu which includes organic ice cream at £1.25.
There is a more substantial menu, which we sampled in the Dining Room last week. The food
style is based on high quality ingredients minimally mucked about with. Memorable is the
fillet of cod with red wine butter sauce, garlic mashed potatoes and caramelised baby
onions (£7.75). For pudding, the tart au citron with cream (p3.95) was light and lemony
as it should be. Carmen, our waitress, was charming. All in all, The Prince has tried to
break the mould created by stereotypes. It offers a broad range of food and drink at
reasonable prices and is a relaxed and extremely pleasant place to hang out.
BRUNCH
Avis Fenner feeds her hangover
It’s late Sunday morning. Your head rues that last bottle of Chardonnay
and you have run out of Alka Seltzer. What you need is some nice oeufs benedictine and a
bucks fizz or two but the ‘best by’ date on your egg carton goes back to the
last century and there’s no OJ. Don’t despair, brunch is just around the corner.
Here’s a selection of what is on offer.
The Blue Legume opens 9.30 am on Sunday and serves up a traditional
English breakfast for £5.95 (chicken or veg sausage) until 2pm. Eggs poached or
scrambled, BLT ciabatta and waffles. They also have pan fried mushrooms on toast with
crème fraiche, and for the health conscious there’s organic honey waffles and fresh
fruit. No hangover cocktails but beer or wine and gravelax home cured with gin served with
scrambled eggs might be all you need. They do that, plus the BLTs and waffles, until 4.00
pm. 101 Stoke Newington Church Street
Brunch is a big feature at Blush Cafe/Bar which serves from 12.00 noon
to 6.00 pm, followed by live music. They have an organic meat or veg breakfast, eggs
benedict, smoked salmon and scrambled eggs, filled muffins, BLTs. Everything is £5.00,
except, importantly, the Bucks Fizz for £2.00, champagne £3.00 and a ‘guaranteed
hangover cure’: Bloody Mary for £3.00. They also have a children’s menu for
£2.00 and from the beginning of May a garden that seats 40. 8 Cazenove Road
Booth’s Cafe Bar have a traditional English breakfast with bacon,
sausage, egg, tomato, beans, mushrooms and fries for £3.95. They also have a light
version with just the bacon, egg, beans and fries for £2.90. Plus they have smoked salmon
and scrambled eggs, muffins, and a house speciality of cheese omelette pizza for £3.95.
It’s open from 11.00 and serves breakfast all day (on Sunday till 10.30) so it is
still open for those with a very, very bad hangover. No specials on drinks but they can
make you that Bloody Mary. 71-73 Stoke Newington Church Street
The Prince serves a traditional English breakfast with either meat or
veg sausage, organic egg and muffin for £4.95. Not quite brunch but they also have
bangers and sweet garlic mash with red onion marmalade (something to reach those damaged
taste buds). A bar that will supply all needs and a kids’ menu for £2.50. Open from
12 noon to 12.30. 59 Kynaston Road
If you looking for that very relaxed place for your hungover head, where even wearing
shades indoors would not be noticed, then you need the ambience of the Vortex. Here you
can get a traditional breakfast, with vegetarian option, all day from 10.00 to 4.00 for
£5.00. Plus pastries, scrambled eggs, BLTs and croissants. They can, of course, supply
you with the drink of your choice. And if you recover sufficiently you can stay and join
in the Sunday night karaoke. 139-141 Stoke Newington Church Street |
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