I visited a cosy London pub that recently reopened, and it even serves its own brand of wine grown on the vineyard of the family that owns it.
Located on Church Street in Chelsea, The Pig’s Ear offers that old pub charm with its bright red interior and wooden cabinets, mixed with opulent chandeliers and a mix of eclectic artwork inside.
The pub itself dates back to 1870 when it was formerly called The Black Lion, before later being turned into a restaurant.
Earlier this year the business reopened as a pub after it was remodelled by the Gladwin family, who took ownership of it.
The pub is the fifth business now owned by the family, who also own the popular Nutbourne vineyard in Sussex, with a variety of these wines served at the pub.
We were invited to try the pub's menu, which changes seasonally to feature a range of food options, from small tapas-style dishes to have with a drink or larger dishes for people looking to have a full meal.
Alongside wines, spirits, beers and other alcoholic drinks, the pub also offers a really good selection of cocktails, not something I have found a lot when visiting many pubs.
The cocktail menu includes regularly changing cocktails – currently they have a Clover Club made with vegan foam as well as a selection of permanent cocktails.
My dad tried the Pig’s Ear Negroni, which came served in a pig’s ear-shaped mug and was made with Adnams gin.
Moving onto food, I will say that the food at the Pig’s Ear was definitely some of the best “pub food” I have had, if it can be called that.
Their menu is relatively small, but with really great seasonal options using UK sourced produce that celebrates the “diversity of British seasonal cooking.”
Along with their A La Carte menu, The Pig’s Ear also serves a Sunday roast with meat options like Sussex Beef Sirloin and Tamworth Pork Belly.
We first began with a selection of smaller plates, meant for people who fancy having something to eat whilst stopping off for a drink, with dishes starting at £3.50 in this category.
We started off by trying the Mushroom Marmite Eclairs which, despite the name didn’t include any Marmite and instead had a creamy truffle sauce with confit egg and cornichon, a good accompaniment to a glass of wine.
This was followed by Gladwin's Chorizo served with hung yoghurt kale and a crispy, toasted baguette.
Moving onto the starter dishes, we sampled the Salt Beef Croquettes with English wasabi, along with the Buratta served with flat peaches and basil.
The croquettes were one of my favourite dishes that I tried and was a really unusual combination of flavours with the wasabi.
The pub also offers lighter options like the Courgette Carpaccio, served with goat’s cheese and pine nuts, which was another personal favourite with its fresh flavours and crunch from the pine nuts.
For mains we tried two recommended dishes, including the nine year's retired Sussex beef served with peppercorn and the smoked grouse with wild mushrooms and elderflower game chips.
The portion sizes were very generous and both dishes were very well seasoned, the menu tends to have around six mains on the menu with some rotating to ensure quality.
Desserts consisted of their decadent homemade Cacao Mousse with butterscotch and the hearty Cherry Crumble Baked Cheesecake.
With its well-put-together food menu, cosy interiors and unique selection of drinks, this place is definitely one of Chelsea’s gems and a welcome re-addition to the neighbourhood.
Still keeping its historical charm and personal family-run touch, it’s worth a visit this summer for an evening out or a special occasion.
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