The Golden Fleece - Pub, London, United Kingdom

8 Queens St
London, EC4N 1SP
Tel: 08721 077 077
Nearest Tube: Bank or Mansion House
Restaurant Hours: Mon - Friday 11:30am - 8pm
http://www.traditionalpubslondon.co.uk/goldenfleece/index.php

Last Visited: July 7, 2010

Food: 3 stars
Atmosphere: 3 stars
Service: 3 stars
Price: $$

We had just toured the Bank of England and had begun to roam around the area seeking some lunch. I hadn't had any pub food yet and with not much nearby, I was looking for just about any place that had seating and decent food. It's remarkable how much the Brits are into sandwiches. Pret A Manger abounds around every corner, almost like a Starbucks sighting in California - they're everywhere you look. As we were walking towards the next tube station, we came upon The Golden Fleece. A number of people whom looked like they were a business bunch were inside enjoying a beer during their lunch, and it seemed as good a place as any. Little did I know that after lunch, we would find a bunch more cafes just around the corner, but this turned out to be a good find.

Inside, there is a lot of wood, and it's fairly spacious - just as you would expect a classic pub to look like. There were signs of world cup celebrations and happy hours around the tables and the bar. The menu offered fish and chips, burgers, sandwiches, baked potatoes with toppings, and a number of dishes great for sharing.

Unaccustomed to the pub scene in England, we didn't realize that nobody comes to your table. The waitress shouted to us that we needed to come up to the bar to order. Apparently, the long time we spent staring at the menus was a sure sign of our ignorance of pub etiquette.

Upon ordering, salads and main courses arrived about fifteen minutes later.

- Side Salad - The side salad had lettuce, spring mix, cucumbers, tomatoes, red onions, and olives. The Italian dressing was good and the vegetables were surprisingly very fresh. It was a great salad to start the meal and a great price too. 2.50 pounds

- Stuffed Pork Sausages and Mash - Of course, we had to have our mandatory bangers and mash - we were at a pub after all. Three Suffolk sausages are cooked until brown and placed on a bed of mashed potatoes on top of a pool of red onion gravy. Maybe it was the simplicity of the dish, but it was hearty and good. The sausage filling was tender and the flavors were just right - not too salty. Good stuff.

If you're ever in area of Bank, it's a good stop for some classic pub specialties in a sit down environment which was seemingly rather difficult to find in the immediate area. And if you happen to have a very large group, there is another large room downstairs where private events may be held.