I’m writing this on a flight to London. This year keeps throwing curveballs at me, and now I’m heading back to the UK months after my first visit. My friend wanted to celebrate her birthday in London, so I figured why not. Perks of being single, no kids, and fully remote. Round two here we go!
Shortly after my first London Sunday roast experience (a 2.5 hour, Guinness-fueled wait at the popular Devonshire), a British pub opened in my SF neighborhood. In addition to classics like fish and chips and scotch egg, they’re serving the first traditional British Sunday roast I’ve seen in the Bay Area.
I’ve gone a couple times during their preview weeks and found the roast and the rest of the menu to be better than any pub food I tried in London.
Perhaps that isn’t a surprise, as British chef George Dingle has cooked at two Michelin-starred restaurants in the UK, and in SF at Monsieur Benjamin and Benu. He and his wife Anissa opened their long awaited Dingles Public House inside the Inn at the Opera in Hayes Valley. The space feels a bit like an old study: deep British racing green walls, mahogany leather seating, a flickering fireplace, shelves of books, and artwork and duck motifs dotted throughout. It’s homey and personal.
The menu leans traditional, with modern California influence like bone marrow paired with flaky beef and Guinness pies, and crispy pork belly as a Sunday roast option. Drinks are what you’d expect from a pub, plus a larger wine list. Guinness is on tap, Guinness 0.0 is available, and there are a few craft cocktails.
Reservations are sparse as of writing, and the Sunday roast is booked through January, but they reserve the bar for walk-ins.
