The Prince Bonaparte

The Prince Bonaparte used to be my local, but since moving (admittedly not very far away) I have not been there in ages. It has a bit of a mixed history, apparently in the early 90's it was quite the celebrity hangout frequented by Stella McCartney and the like. When I lived near it I didn't spot anyone famous but it was a good local with one catch, service that was sometimes appalling. You had to order your meal at least an hour in advance of when you wanted it, in the hope of it turning up at a reasonable time. So what about the current state of affairs at the Prince Bonaparte? There were still no celebrities but the Prince Bonaparte appeared to have got its act together service wise. It didn't take a ridiculous amount of time to order and our meals arrived fairly promptly.

The food was nothing to write home about. I had the haddock and potato fish cake which was served with chips and some token salad. It's appearance and texture indicated that it was clearly not home made, but to be honest it was still fairly tasty. MTV boyfriend went for the sausages and mash (pictured) which was quite well presented with curls of parsnip crisps on top of it. It was reasonable enough, although it is hard to go wrong with bangers and mash.

That said, I don't think you come to the Prince Bonaparte for food that is in anyway spectacular. You come for some pub grub, a good selection of beers and wines, and mainly for the atmosphere which is always buzzing and full of people. Bonus points are awarded for the fact that you can book a table (even for a large group of people), the open fire in winter and the Sunday roasts all year round.

Details: 80 Chepstow Road W25BE (Bayswater) Ph: 02073139491

Damage: Such a bargain even my mother would approve

7/10

Update: As my local, I have been back to the Prince Bonaparte quite a few times. It was taken over by new owners in around January 2009 and since then the sometimes patchy service has improved beyond belief and the menu has had a revamp. It is now almost the perfect gastro pub. I would improve my review to an 8/10.