THE historic Ealing Park Tavern has finally opened its door in the heart of South Ealing following a four-month refurbishment.

 

The hustle and bustle of South Ealing Road is a distant thought when you enter this lovingly-restored and cosy inn.

 

There’s already a charming, homely feel about the place. Its spacious area, with fireplaces, boarded floors and exposed brick, offers a traditional feel that secured its place in the London Inventory of Historic Pub Interiors.

 

Attractive modern chandelier lights and leather sofas give added class, while stuffed animals are dotted around the walls, including deer, moose heads and wild birds, to add to the collection of curiosities.

 

It has a 60-cover restaurant, two private function rooms, a wall patio garden (opening in spring) and a large bar which has some serious substance, with home-brewed ales from its microbrewery to more than 100 wines, including those from their own enomatic wine dispenser.

 

Ealing Park Tavern exudes a relaxed vibe with a soundtrack comprising a soul music playlist.

 

Menus include lunch, dinner, bar snacks and Sunday lunch, all characterised by the use of British seasonal produce, hand-picked from select UK farms and niche suppliers.

 

For a starter, I sampled the smoked mackerel rillettes with beetroot and horseradish (£8). The soft, smoked mackerel rillettes was pretty as a picture, surrounded by myriad beetroot slices with horseradish piped in little twirls and all topped with a big fluff of green leaves.

 

The house white wine, produced from its own wine dispenser, was a refreshing accompaniment to this starter.

 

Everything is made in the open kitchen overlooking the restaurant and kept separate to ensure every ingredient stands alone to be savoured. Service was warm and brisk.

 

For main, I had a generous-sized pork belly, tripe with white bean cassoulet (£14) - a delicious hit. The pork belly is melt-in-your-mouth tender and succulent without an oily after-taste and complemented the richness of the cassoulet, which is filling and creamy with strong tastes of various herbs.

 

The dessert menu, all priced at £5, was satisfying. I went for the apple and pear crumble with cinnamon ice cream, which was as homely as it was lovely, leaving a sweet after-taste.

 

This is a much-loved pub with a new look and feel along with a revived sense of adventure.

 

There is nothing to dislike about the Ealing Park Tavern, with its friendly staff, warm surroundings and outstanding and beautifully-plated food, which definitely justifies the price you pay.

 

If you want a true British taste, which leaves you licking your lips and wishing it lasted longer, then it's well worth making the trip.

 

The Ealing Park Tavern is open Monday-Wednesday 11am-11pm, Thursday-Friday 11am-12 midnight and Sunday 11am-10.30pm.

 

Call 0208 7581879 to make a reservation or visit http://www.ealingparktavern.com