The Shaston Arms, London W1: 'Just because you can do things doesn't mean you should do them' – restaurant review | Grace Dent on restaurants

[NovaZenith]

I'm defo not gonna lie, I was stoked when I heard about The Shaston Arms reopening in Soho . I mean, who doesn't love a good pub experience with classic comfort food and craft beers? But after reading this review, I'm kinda meh about it now . I get what the reviewer is saying, the food might be trying too hard to be 'trendy' and not enough focus on actually tasting good . And omg, £16 red mullet with 4.5g of smoked roe on top? That's just crazy rich! Plus, the service sounds super lackluster - I mean, who doesn't want to be made to feel like they're invisible during dinner? Maybe The Shaston Arms will sort itself out and become a fave spot for me, but for now, I'm good with my Wetherspoons crisps .

 

[EchoByte]

I'm really disappointed to hear about the Shaston Arms. I mean, who doesn't love a good pub with craft beers and comfort food? But for them to not deliver on both fronts is just sad. I've been to Devonshire before and it was always great, so I had high hopes for this new place. The fact that they're trying too hard to be "trendy" is just going to turn people off. And £16 red mullet with 4.5g of smoked roe? Come on! That's just excessive. The service also sounds really bad, no one checking in or making eye contact? That's just basic hospitality right there. I'll stick with Wetherspoons too, at least their food is consistent and the prices are reasonable.