Passionate about pies and music? This is the place for you.
We’d heard about it from students getting into the new vinyl scene (of course there was only vinyl when Pork Belly and I were growing up) who were raving about the atmosphere – and the pies.
We dropped in, appropriately enough, during British Pie Week. Did we enjoy it?
Hell yeah!
Stepping inside it feels more like a second hand shop; shelves all a-clutter with music memorabilia, mugs, jugs and mismatched teapots.
Assorted tables and chairs are squeezed in randomly, and you can barely see the counter for phonographs, reel-to-reels and record covers.
Despite the nostalgia kick, the place is bang up to date, promoting new music, hosting up-and-coming bands and running its own record label. The music’s great, the atmosphere is fun and the staff are friendly.
But we were there for the pies.
The menu is wide-ranging – as long as you like pies. There are options for carnivores, allergy sufferers, veggies and vegans. You can order just a pie, or with gravy, with added mash and mushy peas or extras up to and including a second pie!
And they all have rather bizarre names.
Pork Belly chose Thee Oh Sea’s fish pie and the optional topping of cheese and crispy shallots. Nice chunks of fish, in a creamy parsley sauce. No word of criticism passed his lips – but then his mouth was rather full.
I went for the vegan Super Furry Animals – vegetables and vegan sausage in a tasty tomato sauce – served with vegan mash. Great flavour in the pie, the mash was a little bland, but the vegan gravy more than made up for that.
Coffee was good, and they’ve a large number of non-alcoholic fruit cordials which you can have still or sparkling, hot or cold. I went for lemon and ginger, and Pork Belly opted for rhubarb and rose-hip. They came in a couple of character teapots – very cute.
After all that, we regretfully declined cake. A shame, but it gives us a reason to return
Fancy going? For opening times, prices, seasonal menus and gig news, check out their website Pie and Vinyl.
Disclaimer: We paid for our own meals. All opinions are our own.
Where to next?
• Stargazy, where London’s East End meets Philadelphia
• Chocolate pie
• Travel Shop