Key Takeaways
- The Shaston Arms is a modern take on the traditional pub experience, with a polished atmosphere and imaginative menu.
- The menu offers a mix of old-school pub comfort food and fine dining dishes, but the cooking can be heavy-handed at times.
- The service is lacking, with staff failing to provide basic niceties such as checking if customers want another drink or changing cutlery between courses.
- The restaurant’s attempt to balance its pub-like atmosphere with fine dining prices and service falls short, resulting in a disappointing experience.
- The Shaston Arms’ prices are steep, with a meal costing £144, including a £16 service charge.
Introduction to the Pub Revival
The concept of the "pub revival" has been gaining popularity in recent years, with old boozers being reclaimed, reloved, and restored to their former glory. The Devonshire in Piccadilly is a prime example of this trend, winning plaudits and celebrity fans with its unique blend of traditional pub atmosphere and fine dining. However, the question remains as to whether Gen Z really loves anything about the 20th-century pub experience. The Shaston Arms, located near Carnaby Street, is a great example of this trend, but its attempt to balance its pub-like atmosphere with fine dining prices and service falls short.
The Atmosphere and Menu
The Shaston Arms is a pleasantly sterile and Gen Z-friendly experience, with a polished room, strategically placed rock’n’roll art, and a menu that offers a mix of old-school pub comfort food and fine dining dishes. The menu is imaginative, with dishes such as fennel and escarole caponata with hazelnuts and caramel flan with miyagawa. However, the cooking can be heavy-handed at times, with dishes such as whopping great onion rings with smoked cod’s roe and caramel tart with salted almonds and bitter citrus fruit. Some of the cooking is very delicate, such as the creamy mash with lightly spiced scallop and curry leaves, but overall, the menu is a mixed bag.
Service and Hospitality
The biggest issue with the Shaston Arms is the lack of service and hospitality. The staff seem to be lacking in basic training, failing to provide niceties such as checking if customers want another drink, changing cutlery between courses, or even noticing when a customer gets up to leave. The diners are left to sit with chattering teeth next to a ringing reservations telephone and someone cutting bread, which incidentally is £4.50 a pop for a minuscule amount of baguette with nondescript, fridge-cold butter. The service charge of £16 is laughable, considering the lack of attention and care provided by the staff.
The Price and Value
The prices at the Shaston Arms are steep, with a meal costing £144, including the £16 service charge. This is a significant amount of money for a meal that is not particularly impressive, especially considering the lack of service and hospitality. The restaurant’s attempt to balance its pub-like atmosphere with fine dining prices and service falls short, resulting in a disappointing experience. The Devonshire is celebrated for its ability to pull off this delicate balance, but the Shaston Arms is not quite there yet.
Conclusion and Final Thoughts
The Shaston Arms is a great example of the "pub revival" trend, but its attempt to balance its pub-like atmosphere with fine dining prices and service falls short. The menu is imaginative, but the cooking can be heavy-handed at times, and the service is lacking. The prices are steep, and the value for money is not particularly good. Overall, the Shaston Arms is a disappointing experience, and it would be better to try somewhere else, such as Wagamama or even Wetherspoons, which offers better value for money and a more authentic pub experience.