Chimes

I live locally and have been several times. It's noT haute cuisine, nor is it meant to be. Go if you want a pie and veg with some cider.. some not particularly common, or even a fruit beer.
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7 Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 7
Wednesday, May 19, 2010

I have been to Chimes a couple of times and always enjoyed the pies and cider. However on my last experience an incredibly rude waitress ruined the whole experience. A shame how one person can ruin such a great pub.
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5 Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 4 | Value for money 8
Wednesday, February 10, 2010

I literally fell in love with Chimes a couple of years ago. I am Italian, and a serious food lover. I sort of believed British cuisine was inexistent, tasteless and watery.

I discovered a totally new gastronomic landscape with the authentic, homelike fresh and tasty cuisine in Chimes.

I love their pies and fish. They make a wise use of spices (choriander with fish), herbs and nuts. Things most chefs forget to use at all. All the ingredients are fresh, the pheasant is soft and smells like it has been hunted the day before in a forest. The vegetables are cooked at a suitable point as to be crunchy and to keep all their taste, with just a slight add of butter to make them perfect.

Mind you, most dishes are of meat, which I usually don't eat much. But there is also a vegetarian pie.

Deserts are perfect, try the raspberry mousse...

The chef was trained in France and Algeria, and sums up all the skills of light refined french cuisine with a good typically arabic knowledge of spices and a perfect interpretation of British peasants' food traditions.
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Giada Saint Amour di Chanaz
10 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Tuesday, March 03, 2009

My boyfriend and I went to Chimes this afternoon in need for pie and to explore the cider.

We were greeted with a friendly welcome. The service was polite and quick- there was only one other couple in the dining area until a group of 12 came in and livened up the rather quiet area. The area itself is pleasant- wooden tables and odd chairs, fresh flowers, plants and cider paraphernalia around you.

I had the fidget pie with vegetables and the 'Old Rosie' half pint of cider. The bf had steak and mushroom pie with Chimes trad. cider. Each pie was delicious. Lovely flaky pastry topping, huge chunks of tender meat and full-flavoured. The vegetables, however, were served on a small side plate and were rather measly portions. The potatoes were very tasty, though.

The cider was also extremely nice- exactly what you'd want with rich food on a snowy day. You'd only want the half pints as they are strong.

To soak up the alcohol we also had pudding- I had the bread and butter pudding with cream and he had the apple and blackberry crumble with custard. The b'n'b pudding was nicely spiced but the cream came whipped on top of it, which ruined its potential crispiness. His crumble was also good- big chunks of apple and custard in a serving jug, which I wished my cream was in too. The custard wasn't home-made which was disappointing.

It all came to just under £40. I will definitely go back, but mostly to try more cider.
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HC - View all reviews by this user
8 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 7
Tuesday, February 03, 2009

I absolutely love this place. Given it has been around years and is always busy, it must be getting something right.

You'll get simple, delicious well prepared English food. My wife and I come here when we need some home comfort and are perhaps a bit exhausted by London.

We regard Chimes as an treat amid all the many different exotic cusines available to us in London.

The Pies are first class and crucially are freshly prepared. The staff are busy but friendly.
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Adam
8 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 7
Friday, December 12, 2008

Visited Chimes for the first time recently and enjoyed my evening there. Food was tasty and well-cooked (three of us each had a different pie and they were all good). For cider lovers (and that includes me!) Chimes must have the best choice of ciders in London. Interior is nice and has the feeling of a country pub!Service was good, place is clean (although the toilets could do with more attention), will definitely go back there. Recommended.
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Jeremy Kirk
8 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 7
Friday, November 21, 2008

I booked a table at Chimes for myself and 5 others, not entirely sure what to expect due to some bad reviews. We arrived around 19:45 on a Saturday, there were not many people in the restaurant - never a good sign, so I was expecting the worst.

Only two of us had starters, I had the fish cake, and another diner had game pate, both were delicious. My interest was piqued, I was wondering what to expect for main!

Two ordered the pheasant pie, but were immediately informed that it had pheasant, rabbit and venison in it - a nice suprise. I ordered a steak and mushroom pie, and others ordered fish and chips, a sirloin burger and a lamb shank. Everybody was delighted with their food.

Thank you Chimes, a great time had by all.

Thoroughly recommended, I know I'll be going again.
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Ben pope
8 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 7
Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Like the previous reviewer, I had also been to Chimes 3 or 4 times and had liked the unpretentious menu, good choice of pies, well cooked and al dente veg, plus a range of ciders to try; all great for a local meal out when you are tired and hungry after a day at work.

Last week, a cousin over from the US wanted a traditional English meal, so we went to Chimes to find the pies bland, the vegetables and the tuna steak microwaved and dry as dust and whatever my partner had so unremarkable that he could not remember what it was an hour after leaving! The restaurant which was almost empty, also smelled dank.

The waitress was sweet but did not have a clue about the menu nor could advise on the various ciders, saying only that she didn't like cider herself!

What a shame that a no nonsense, reasonable local has become unusable
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Denise Poole
2 Overall rating
Food 3 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 1 | Value for money 2
Monday, July 14, 2008

I've visited this place a few times, and always really enjoyed it - the range and quality of pies was excellent and the cider a novel and always enjoyable quirk. However on my latest trip I was very disappointed: the menu had been cut to half the original size, and pushed much more towards the standard pub fare.

Not really fancying anything, I settled for sausage and mash, which I assumed would be safe. How wrong I was! The portion was so small it was served on a side plate, the sausages were tasteless and couldn't have been more than 50% meat, the mash was out of a packet, and the gravy was dried around the edges where it had been microwaved. To cap it all the onion in the "onion gravy" was raw and sprinkled on top as a garnish.

I will never eat here again.
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Mike
3 Overall rating
Food 2 | Service 5 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 2
Thursday, December 20, 2007