The Well

 

Everything about our meal at this superb gastropub in Clerkenwell was brilliant, from the towering pint'o'prawns ordered to start, to the grins plastered over our faces as we surveyed a happy, crowded pub and the wreckage of a great meal. The Well is a smart two-level pub from Tom and Ed Martin in a trendy part of town, with a classy downstairs bar boasting huge tanks stocked with exotic fish, mercifully not intended for the menu. Upstairs, unstable barewood tables and a boozy after-work crowd put this place firmly in the bracket of a gastropub, although the English classics on the menu would grace most dining rooms in the city. A couple of pints put us in the mood for an over-indulgent meal. We started with a deep fried goat's cheese and the aforementioned prawns, which were served with garlic mayo and enough finger food for two. My date followed with the steak, a thickly cut, perfectly rare feast. My beef, from the daily specials menu, was wonderfully flaky and rich. Vegetables in buttery sauce complimented these excellent meat dishes perfectly. Washed down with excellent house red, this was already a meal of epic proportions. To go for broke we had a vanilla panacotta with raspberry compote, which disappeared completely. We justified this absurd excess by proclaiming that this was probably among the best meals we'd sit down to all year, so better make the most of it. Head down The Well. Drink a couple of pints and smell the food. If you're moved to order a meal, you won't regret it. A superb example of hearty gastro dining, in a cool corner of town, this place is already a clear favourite with locals. We loved it.