Reviews or Comments for 'The Elgin' (4)

I had to come here on sunday for lunch. It was cracking!Looks bad from the outside of course but the food was fast and very tasty.Nice atmosphere and staff were very nice too!

Dark bar with poor atmosphere.

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Budget Veggie Review - The Elgin Bar and Grill The Elgin used to be a dark traditional pub, but was revamped about 2 years ago and is now aimed at a trendier clientele with a restaurant upstairs. The d�cor in the pub downstairs is wooden paneling, with seating a mix of bar stools, low comfy sofas and soft square box-shaped seats. A quick search of bar reviews suggests that many people dislike this pub's current incarnation, but I have always found it friendly and welcoming when visiting for a drink. It is definitely much less smoky than the previous incarnation. At first glance, the menu is confusing for veggies since when you look at the section headed "mains", all the dishes are meat and fish. There are however several vegetarian starters and different options if you then move down the menu into the part called "pasta and risotto". This basically gives you a choice of 2 meats or 1 veggie option of pasta, combined with a choice of 5 sauces, 2 of which were vegetarian.I chose pasta with roasted vegetables and olive tapanade sauce. My partner chose a steak, and, as we were there on a Sunday, everyone else went for variations on the Sunday roast. If they offered a vegetarian alternative, it was not displayed either on the boards or listed in the menu. When the food came, the portions were very large but the pasta dish was very plain and also quite dry. Because the dish was so boring, it was not possible to even eat half of the huge serving. The roasts and accompanying side vegetables were however apparently very good.The bill came in at about �15.00 for two mains, but not including any of the wine or other drinks we bought at the bar. For the meat-eaters, it was good value for money but not so for a vegetarian.If you like this review, and want to read more reviews of London eateries from the view-point of a veggie on a budget, check out my blogs on http://blog.myspace.com/rhiannonmagor

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"Set in a neighbourhood marked by a stark mix of affluent villas next to concrete high-rise blocks, the idea behind the opening of the Elgin was to create a bar that could attract the loyalty of a regular crowd by nevertheless avoiding that common local pub syndrome where all the bar stools are taken by wheezing old men arguing incoherently with each other.To begin with, the Elgin is not a pub but a bar. It is open until late and offers a nice variety of drinks. Secondly, Maida Vale residents typically aren't drunken old men but energetic young City executives who want a relaxing spot for an after-work drink or a fun Friday night. And finally, the Elgin sports a stylish, lounge-like decor that has won it the reputation of being the 'Shoreditch bar in Maida Vale.'On any given evening there are DJs spinning tunes in a laid back and welcoming atmosphere where you can still hear yourself speak."