The chefs in The Prince Arthur’s kitchen are no longer Hot 4 U.
But you needn’t take it personally.
They were but one of a series of excellent residencies that have pitched up at this Dalston pub, which seems to have an eye for talent. The Hot 4 U team went from lockdown delivery service to critically acclaimed fledgling restaurant here (you can now enjoy the food permanently at Papi), and after a celebrated stint from fire-tamer Vivienne Duffy, the pub’s now gearing up to welcome a new chef into the kitchens.
His name is Joe Couldridge, and you should be excited for three reasons: 1) Hawksmoor, 2) Leroy, and 3) The Clarence Tavern. That’s where he’s previously manned the pans – aside from the Lockdown Years, which he spent on a farm in Cornwall absorbing what we can only assume was vast amounts of knowledge about ingredients, organic farming methods, and seasonality.
He’s settling into The Prince Arthur for the foreseeable, opening with a menu of dishes that sound, frankly, irresistible. We’re talking gourmet hash-browns topped with devilled crab; Scotch bonnet cornbread; slip sole with bone marrow butter; and rib-eye steaks with triple-cooked chips (which, given the whole Hawksmoor thing, will probably be half-decent). And the whole thing’s set to be capped off by a classic strawberry knickerbocker glory.
As for the pub, it’s a quintessential Victorian boozer parked on a corner just off London Fields, with the original wooden bar and wall panelling still intact. Candlelit tables and a cosy fire in the colder months give the place the feel of a snug neighbourhood restaurant as much as a pub. And as a free-house, you’ll find a regularly changing selection of brews on tap, as well as low-intervention wines and cocktails, like the classic Italian ‘Bicicletta’, and the not-so-classic house signature, the ‘Duck Fart’.
NOTE: Joe Couldridge is in residence at The Prince Arthur now. You can find out more, and make a booking, HERE.
The Prince Arthur | 95 Forest Road, E8 3BH
While you’re in the neighbourhood… Check out our London Fields guide