Commander, The

Ever wished you could get your hands on your local pub and run it the way you want? That's what a well-to-do denizen of Westbourne Grove has done. Fed up with his local Slug and Lettuce and its mundane atmosphere, he bought the lease, refurbished the interiors, revamped the food offering and named it after one of his mates!

When an opportunity arrived to snap up the lease the new proprietor grabbed it without hesitation. Six months later he and his friends finally have somewhere to relax and the great news is that everyone gets to enjoy the fruits of his investment.

"We couldn't understand how a pub located in the middle of fashionable Westbourne Grove could fail so consistently to meet the area's needs." Commented Sebastian Bulmer also known as The Commander.

Described as a Public House and Garden, The Commander is a far cry from trendier designer pubs, focusing instead on the basics of good food and drink served in simply designed, relaxed surroundings. The result is a pleasant airy space featuring comfortable leather sofas and dotted with posters and paintings inspired by the owner's colourful life. At the rear there is a cosy dining area and conservatory windows which open onto a spacious and sheltered patio garden surrounded by trees and shrubs, that is ideal for quiet meals away from the bustle of the streets.

The Commander's well-balanced Modern British menu demonstrates similar sensibilities to the interior design. Traditional pub treats rub shoulders with more creative dishes, grazers will find plenty to share and vegetarians are well catered for. The drinks list is equally well developed, offering simple gluggable house wines alongside much more extravagant choices and cocktails include the eponymously titled Commander Island.

All in all The Commander's menu offering is a well-rounded and considered selection, bound to satisfy a wide range of tastes and appetites. Meanwhile, the place itself is a welcoming spot free of the self-conscious stylings that can undermine some of London's more ambitious openings and justifying the adoption of the more formal Public House title instead of the over-used Gastro Pub moniker.