The Leather Bottle

Pub
Earlsfield

Finally, summer appears to have made its long-awaited arrival with a little bit of September sunshine. This calls for the only sensible course of action - finding a pub with a great garden in which to catch the last few rays of 2012.

Our travels to find the best pub gardens in London bought us to the Leather Bottle in Earlsfield, a venue with a huge expansive garden with dozens of tables. Their barbecue food has a great reputation, with a BBQ menu completely separate to their everyday menu: they clearly take this seriously.

We kicked off our meal with starters of calamari and goat's cheese tart. The calamari, in perfectly crisp batter, was stacked high in a tower of squid. Full marks for presentation! The goat’s cheese tart was rich and creamy with a sweet kick of caramelised red onions.

Swiftly following this were two of the largest main courses we've seen recently. A juicy corn-fed chicken presented on top of a succulent mix of vegetables, and an 8oz cheeseburger (the largest eight ounces we've ever seen, a burger of monster proportions). It had a chunky, medium-rare meaty centre, topped with softly melted, gooey cheese and crisp bacon, barely contained within a brioche bun. The accompanying huge side of fries were also delicious, but the volume of food defeated us. This wasn't just quantity, but real quality as well. The chicken was equally as good too, moist flavourful meat smothered in rich tasty gravy. It might not have been a Sunday, but we don't need an excuse for an awesome roast dinner.

After we'd allowed our main courses to digest, we were just about ready to tackle the cheese board, the perfect size for two people to share with three types of cheese and a big pile of crackers.

We love the Leather Bottle and would definitely recommend it, great food, great service and a great environment in the lovely garden. We just wish there was more places like this in London, although it’s probably best for our waistline that there isn't!

538 Garratt Lane, SW17 0NY

Average price for main course: £11
Average price for glass of wine: £4.50
Food/Drink: 5/5
Value: 4/5
Service: 5/5

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