The Cabbages of Doom

Today I moved all the textbooks and folders that had been shipped over from the UK into my office from our apartment. I was therefore thoroughly in the mood for a nice cold beer after work. Happily, there were already plans to meet a friend and she took us to Papa Gede's bar at 346 Kent St in Sydney CBD, which can be found at the end of a very unassuming little laneway.

Although they are new to me, Papa Gede’s is a fairly new addition to the bar scene in Sydney and it’s a good one. The interior is cosy and comfortable and they were playing very funky music too, which the friendly staff identified as the Budo’s band (also new to me). They also made a fine beer recommendation in the form of Mountain Goat hightail ale: malty and tasty but also a thirst quencher.

Both beer and bar (and Budos’ band) are recommended!

Today, we got some good fresh air on the Water Meadows walk in Winchester, returning along the Itchen Navigation. This is a lovely (and flat!) stroll of about 7-8km or so, the highlight of which was a water vole that swam along right next to us before having a quick preen and disappearing into his hole.

As an added bonus, we arrived back in Winchester at the right time and place to try out a new watering hole for lunch, in the form of the Bishop on the Bridge pub. This is a pub that I have managed to overlook on my many previous visits to Winchester but it does a good range of beers and has a good menu too.

I'm a big believer that you can tell a lot about a pub's fayre from its burgers and, after a nice stroll along the Itchen, I was in the mood for a good burger; I was not disappointed. I opted for one with cheddar and mushrooms and it really hit the spot. Although the shrooms were not outstanding and got a bit lost, the burger itself was very tasty; even if it was shaped a bit too perfectly to be hand-made, it was very meaty and juicy (and good value for money). The chips were also great and I think the tomato relish was up with the nicest I have had, all washed down with a nice glass of Leffe blond.

It may have taken over four years to discover both the walk and the pub but I don't think it will be another four years before we repeat the itinerary - highly recommended if you're in the Winchester area.

Today, we met my parents for lunch at the Drift Inn, a New Forest pub attached to the Beaulieu Hotel. We first visited this pub in January, when my brother was over from Ireland for a conference in the hotel and we met him for a pint and some dinner. The pub was cosy and the food was really tasty and we made a note to return. The atmosphere in the pub was really nice, with locals and their dogs as well as city folk like ourselves. As they say on their website:

Local ales, good food, cosy fires and friendly staff... Wellies, walking boots and dogs welcome.

I'd certainly agree with all of the above. The menu is a mixture of classics (burger, lasagne, fish & chips etc.) and some more interesting dishes (bubble and squeak burger). They also have daily specials, that always includes a pie and a steak of some sort. That first night, tempted as I always am by a good burger, I had game pie. It was delicious and bode very well for the other menu items. My starter - bubble and squeak topped with an egg and mushroom sauce - was also good.

A couple of weeks ago, we went back, this time for Saturday lunch. Tempted as I was again by the burger, I was in a bit of a fish mood and went for the beer-battered fish and chips. It was every bit as good as my memory of the pie and the chips were fantastic - crispy on the outside and fluffy in the middle; they must be at least twice-cooked. The mushy peas were a little disappointing, being mushed actual peas, rather than the usual processed kind. They were still nice, just not what I expected (or fancied).

Two successes out of two meant that it was natural choice for an (early) Mother's Day/Birthday/St Patrick's Day lunch with the folks. Today, I succumbed and went for the burger. (Although the Beef & Guinness pie was a close second choice.) Although not quite up to the standard of the Dandy Lion in Bradford-on-Avon, the burger was really good; juicy and meaty and full of flavour. Mmmmm. The chips were fantastic again and definitely get my seal of approval. The allure of the starters was too strong and my wife and I (unnecessarily) shared some smoked mackerel with celeriac remoulade. Good as it was, next time I think I'll save room for a chocolate brownie! (Although the potato skins my parents shared for a starter also looked tempting.)

Stuffed to the gills, we skipped dessert and went for a bit of a stroll after lunch before heading back home for the England-Ireland rugby match. A future pub walk beckons, I think.

This is actually my TripAdvisor review of The Dandy Lion pub in Bradford-on-Avon but I wanted to try out my new BlogPress App...

We went to The Dandy Lion on a Sunday evening (July 3rd 2011) and were mightily impressed. The place was very calm and relaxed (my brother had his 3 month old baby with him and this was no bother) and the bar staff were friendly and helpful. The menu was excellent and many tasty options were on offer.


I opted for the burger and it was outstanding. A definite contender for best pub burger in Britain IMHO! I asked for the chunky triple-cooked chips instead of the fries and I heartily recommend that option. (It's not a listed menu alternative but they were happy to oblige.) The chips came beautifully presented in a little bucket, adding to the overall charm.

Starter (camembert) and desert (sticky toffee pudding) were also fantastic. The service wasn't the speediest, so perhaps not the place for the impatient, but you can't rush good food, especially at these bargain prices!

Location:The Dandy Lion, Bradford-on-Avon