There is little more comforting than a proper pub, especially on a bitterly cold day in early January. Since its reopening in late 2022, Mayfair’s The Barley Mow – a venue with history dating back more than two centuries – has, once again, become a firm favourite among locals. Rightly so. Both the downstairs pub and the more formal dining room above deserve a visit.
Visitors should not be surprised that the Barley Mow delights, given the pedigree of its backers, The Cubitt House Group. Named after the British master builder, Sir Thomas Cubitt, the team now own eight pubs across London (including their first, which honours its eponym, reviewed in 2012). Across all, the angle is to restore previously neglected venues to their former glory. Visit the Barley Mow and you can marvel at etched glass windows and more recent art deco additions. Understated class – something that has stood the test of time – pervades throughout.
A similar approach is adopted with regard to food. The team at the Barley Mow is not trying to reinvent the wheel; rather, the aim is to deliver well-executed British classics. Over several visits, your reviewer has tasted widely across the menu. Neither he nor his dining comrades have been disappointed yet. Downstairs, guests can expect the likes of a sausage roll or Scotch Egg. The latter is perhaps rivalled only by that available at private members’ club 67 Pall Mall as being the best in London, in your reviewer’s opinion. It’s unashamedly vibrant and flavoursome. A napkin is probably also required to mop one’s mouth delicately from excess yolk at the end.
The good news for those who prefer to dine more formally upstairs over a starched white table cloth is that a fork and knife are made available here when approaching the Scotch Egg or similar. These feature in the starters section of the more formal menu. If you’re even more peckish, then why not first snack on something like the very moreish smoked haddock and Montgomery cheddar croquettes? These come accompanied by a dill mayonnaise. At £10 for just three, each a little longer than a thumb, the dish could hardly be considered good value, but they are worth it. And very moreish too. Save room, of course, for the mains. The Barley Mow does hearty food well. Miraculously, however, diners do not feel bloated after, say, the daily changing pie or a bowl of beef Bourguignon. Rather, it’s a sense of comfortable satisfaction that one experiences.
No pub, and particularly not one such as the Barley Mow, would be complete without a solid drinks offering. Upstairs there is a good range of wines, both by the glass and the bottle. However, it’s the beer that does the talking. Guinness is executed competently here and this reviewer remains delighted that Stiegl (an Austrian lager) is available by the pint. Smiling servers will bring drinks pulled from the taps up for diners. At all times of the year, the outside terrace is packed. Find a place, if you can.