LHR: The Monkey Puzzle Pub

The Monkey Puzzle Pub
30 Southwick Street, London, W2 1JQ
Tel: 020 7723 0143

I got a tip from a flight attendant on my last London trip to try the Monkey Puzzle Pub. So I gathered a few folks together to try the place out. Rumor had it that it was owned by an airline guy and hopefully, crew friendly.

The pub is located on the southeast corner of Sussex Gardens and Southwick Street, and is a short pleasant walk from the Metropole Hotel. The bar is clean and well appointed and there is a nice outdoor garden area if the weather permits. It was just a bit chilly on the day of our visit, so we chose to eat inside.

View Larger Map

Mike and Emily tended bar and did a great job wecoming us and getting us started on our first drinks. I never shy away from trying a local brew, and they had one there called Badger, brewed in Sussex. It was not a bad quaff, but not quite as cold as I would prefer. The bar has many other beers on tap, notably three Hofbrau's, regular, premium and extra cold. The extra cold ought to appeal to us Americans.

The menu is short and sweet, as it fits on one page. We started with the hummis and pita appetizer, which was very tasty and not too filling. We ordered a variety of plates from the menu and they were all very good. I'd never heard of Gammon before and one of my crewmates gave that a shot. Gammon is a salty ham, and the chef served it with a fried egg on top. It was salty indeed, almost on par with bacon, but still quite good as reported to me. Everyone's fries were perfect and Mike the bartender kindly snagged me a small bowl of mayo which appeased my euro-style fry kick. I had a sausage sandwich which was very tasty.

Gary, the owner of the Monkey Puzzle, straightened me out on the airline connection rumor. Apparently, he had a worker at one point that was previously an airline employee that would occasionally claim to be the owner. The false rumor was spread around by other crews which is perhaps how legends get started.

So give the Monkey Puzzle Pub a try on your next London layover. If the weather is good, dine out on the patio for some special ambiance. Gary gives his personal welcome to any airline crewmembers that decide to stop by. If you have a group of 6 or more ordering dinner, he'll give you the sixth meal for free! If you visit, drop a line and tell of your experience.

The food we ordered:
Fish and Chips

Gammon

House Salad

Hummis and Pita Appetizer

Chef's Salad w/ Bacon

Sausage and Mash