"Recently, I was presented with a challenge. Some friends of mine out of towners, if you will were looking for a pub in the Bloomsbury area for a Sunday pub lunch. A Facebook thread was started, and various suggestions pitched to the floor. I calmly waded through the misguided comments, and, with calm authority, suggested the Marquis. I knew that it was a sure fire choice. Sat facing the ugly Brunswick Centre, the Marquis is a surprisingly pretty pub, nicely done up, and always busy. It is trendy, with a wide array of lagers and ales for those whose fancy such a thing tickles. That day, sitting among my friends, who chatted and laughed, I couldn't help but feel proud of the atmosphere I had helped to cultivate with my choice of venue. There was a good couple of hours of drinking and merry making before thoughts turned to the food. One by one, the party flocked to the bar to put in their order. I went with the West Country Beef. The meat was cooked with consideration, coming out a lovely medium rare, scoring points for both tenderness and taste. The home made Yorkshire pudding was just gravy, and so too was the gravy. The potatoes were unexceptional, but certainly got the job done. Perhaps my only moan and groan would be with regards to the vegetables, which were a little soggy. Then again, I never ordered the meal for the vegetables. I decided to consider them a decoration, and didn't let them dampen the dish. And after the meal was done and dusted, we lingered at the comfortable booth in the comfortable pub, and had a few more drinks. Winter was in full swing and the pub was about as cosy as it gets. The weather outside was frightful and all that jazz. The overwhelming drawback is the mullah. This is not a cheap pub. But if you go in knowing this in advance, and reconcile yourself to the fact, I find that it isn't so expensive as to ruin the experience. Did I make a fine choice with the pub? I reckon so. In fact, I have it on good confidence that one of these out of towner chums has since returned with his own friend in order to show off his knowledge of the best of Bloomsbury. A resounding success. Mark my words, I swear by the Marquis. Screw Flanders."
