Just off Borough High Street is The Glad pub, a staple of the neighbourhood for over 130 years. The pub was recently saved from being knocked down to make way for a ten-storey block of flats but then closed in November last year.
But we have good news – the pub has been saved and recently reopened by three friends. Known for its live music, The Glad still holds weekly music nights, and has a new food and drink menu to boot.
We started with a cocktail, The Pickwick Papers, inspired by Charles Dickens reference to the pub in the book. Rum, fresh lime and Angostura bitters are mixed with aloe vera to give a refreshing drink with a zingy kick. The food menu at The Glad is made up of small and regular plates, we would recommend choosing a selection of the small plates so you can try a variety of dishes.
We started with baby gem lettuce stuffed with mango, goat’s cheese and avocado. Initially a bit unsure about how the texture of the avocado would mix, we were happy with our choice, the freshness of the mango shining through. The golden calamari tossed with spring onions, chilli, lemon sea salt and pink peppercorn was some of the best we’ve ever had. Often we get bored halfway through a plate of calamari but the flavours here kept us going back for more.
The traditional chicken tikka and beef boti kebab (Yorkshire Moors beef marinated with Indian spices) are signature dishes and the meat had a lovely depth of flavour from the spices. Finally, our personal favourite after a tough choice, the chicken kara-age – Japanese-style fried chicken with onion and mixed peppers on skewers. We’re not 100% sure what the flavours were but we know we liked it!
We hope that the pub is a real success, the food is great, the drinks are varied and the atmosphere is relaxed. Get down and support The Glad!
