Devonshire, The

Sutty (26 February 2008)

I was keen to see Ramsay's take on 'good pub grub' we made the trip out to Chiswick to visit his second pub outlet. The area is quiet for London and has a relaxed pace. The Devonshire is tucked away at the end of a residential street and has an unimposing exterior. The best way to summarise our experience at The Devonshire is that, for viewers of his Kitchen Nightmares series, Ramsay Holdings practices what he preaches - this is a pub that has everything you want and none of the clutter that plagues pubs and restaurants.

The decor is clean, simple and effective. The service is friendly and efficient. The menu is short, full of old pub favourites - soup, fish and chips, beef and ale pie and the courses arrive at a perfect pace. Our dishes were basic but full of flavour and there are no experimental combinations or complicated techniques - just great fresh food at affordable prices. Following our meal, we sat in the bar and played scrabble, enjoying the informal and relaxing atmosphere. The fresh decor, friendly service, and basic tasty food means good business. Gordon tells people week in, week out on Nightmares that they should be concentrating on the basics and with The Devonshire, he is proving it can work.