LAST PUB STANDING


ATMOSPHERE Ok, so maybe I’ve been reading too much young adult dystopian fiction recently… a nerd’s gotta have a hobby, right? Te pub’s name is more optimistic and defiant than my apocalyptic portents suggest. King Street once boasted 58 pubs and I found myself in the very last, standing firm in the face of supermarket lagers and people’s desire not to die of cirrhosis aged 35.


I’m told it’s haunted, as all the best pubs should be, and I could imagine some spooky goings on in the first-floor dining rooms with the low timbered ceilings. Te modern glass and polished metal of the bar stands beside old implements from long gone pubs. Te centre of the floor opens into a once forgotten but recently uncovered cellar, covered with glass. Rumour has it a possible entrance to a tunnel leading to the cathedral. IT HAS CHARACTER IS WHAT I AM GETTING AT. Bags of the stuff. More character than Daniel Day Lewis wearing some sort of large hat.


STARTER Blown about like a discarded bag for life, one final icy gust helps me through the front door. I need something warming before my nose turns blue and falls off. Beer. After that a steaming bowl of


26 / APR-MAY 2018 / OUTLINEONLINE.CO.UK


Te year is 2018. Arctic winds scour the desolate wastes of the once verdant East Anglia. Society has fallen (at least, it feels that way walking along Prince of Wales). Huddled masses yearn for warmth and refreshment, a respite from the bitter cold and political unrest. We seek… Te Last Pub Standing


Cullen Skink does its work. Deliciously rich and creamy with smoky flavoured haddock and thick chunks of potato. In utter contrast to my most Scottish starter my partner chose a meze plate of Lebanese dishes. Delightfully crisp falafel with smooth oily hummus and flatbreads. Te tabbouleh packed great flavours from sweet peppers and raw onion. Te highlight was the bowl of Lebanese spiced potatoes with pomegranate seeds, an absolute treat. Tis was more of a sharing plate than a starter and I ably assisted wherever possible.


THE MAIN


EVENT Te menu reveals a startlingly broad


range of influences beyond the two oddly contrasting starters we selected. Goulash befriends jambalaya and Persian lamb shakes hands with gaucho steak. Tis a United Nations of main courses and a chat with the chef underlines his desire to offer something a bit different from the usual pub grub. With a menu quite as broad as this, I worry that it is harder to really excel with each individual dish, but in this case I am happy to be proven wrong.


What else to have after a scotch broth starter than noodles, the favourite food of the free-range haggis? Fantastically flavourful butter prawns burst with life on a king size bed of Szechuan spiced noodles. Tat’s an island in the Hebrides, isn’t it? Te spices left me feeling warm and the fresh carrot and baby corn gave the dish some much needed bite. With this we had a huge bowl of mac and cheese, another hearty dish for a cold evening. It avoids being too stodgy but was a bit heavy on the onion for my tastes.


Te main criticism with these two dishes would simply be their size. While both were genuinely lovely to begin with, they can become a bit of a trudge two thirds of the way through. Maybe if I were less greedy and knew when to stop that wouldn’t be an issue… I need to take some responsibility for this one. Certainly the chefs achieve their aim of offering something different from the more common pub fare.


OVERALL Tis place has a good aesthetic and a nice vibe and they really turned it up to 11 when creating their menu. With a large outdoor terrace and balcony, it’ll be one to visit when the snow finally gives it a rest. Until then if you like a decent bar and an interesting choice of meals, this exciting new addition to Norwich’s food scene could be for you.


VENUE FODDER VALUE OVERALL


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