London's pub revival is in full swing, with old boozers being reclaimed and celebrated. Yet, as Grace Dent discovered at The Shaston Arms near Carnaby Street, the dance between old-school charm and cool, modern hospitality is a precarious one.
A Pleasantly Sterile Experience
Perched inside what felt like a repurposed bookshelf at the draughty back of the venue, Dent had ample time to ponder this trend. The Shaston Arms presents itself as a classic pub, but the experience is a pleasantly sterile, heavily Gen Z-friendly affair. Gone is the phlegm, fag ash, and the bar-fly alcoholic of yesteryear. In its place is a polished room with rock'n'roll art and beers with quirky names.
The menu makes wry nods to pub comfort food with dishes like merguez baguettes and beef-fat onion rings with smoked cod's roe. However, it also ventures into flights of finesse with offerings such as delica squash with fontina and walnut salsa rosso.
Heavy-Handed Cooking and a Service Void
Some dishes showed delicacy, like the creamy mash topped with a lightly spiced scallop and curry leaves. Elsewhere, the cooking was heavy-handed. Dent questioned whether whopping onion rings needed heavily smoked fish roe, or if a caramel tart required an overdose of salted almonds and bitter citrus. The bill came to a hefty £144, which included a £16 service charge that felt laughable given the experience.
The most significant issue, however, was the service, or lack thereof. The restaurant staff provided none of the standard niceties: no check-backs, no changed cutlery, and no eye contact. Diners were left shivering in the cold, next to a ringing phone, paying £4.50 for a minuscule amount of baguette with fridge-cold butter.
The Precarious Pub Revival
The review concludes that making a pub like The Devonshire work requires immense effort, well-trained staff, and a clear separation between the dining room and the 'pub rabble'. Without this, you end up with an unheated lean-to charging premium prices for a confused experience. The Shaston Arms, at 4-6 Ganton Street, London W1, serves lunch Tuesday to Saturday from noon-2.30pm and Sunday from noon-4.30pm. Dinner is served Monday to Saturday from 5.30-9.30pm. A three-course meal costs between £35 and £40 per head, plus drinks and service.
