Last Updated on September 30, 2019
After a stylish refurb, the Adam & Eve Young’s pub tempts with fab food and drink but no apples…
If you’re thirsty after some hardcore shopping on Oxford Street, you have to go off the strip to find a pub, as there’s only one actually on the main road. There are though many great ones to choose from tucked away up the side streets of Soho and Fitzrovia. Minutes from Oxford Circus and Tottenham Court Road tube stations, the Adam & Eve has had a stunning refurb and is a great choice for the footsore, parched and peckish shopper.
The interior is airy, bright and colourful – rich deep green and teal decor, fancy gold pendant lighting, colourful botanical prints, and comfortable seating with sumptuous velvet touches. The theme – of course – is Garden of Eden so snakes and striking jungle birds are prominent.
The front of the pub is the main space, lively with happy diners and drinkers. The quieter area at the back is more conducive to any Me and Mrs Jones assignations… Conducive also, to enjoying the Adam & Eve’s great food offering.
Although you can eat pretty much everywhere inside the pub, as well as at outdoor tables front and back, the carpeted area at the rear is more intimate and bustle-free. The pub’s two semi-private dining areas have enough space for 24 seated guests and are great for celebrations.
Serving up brunch, lunch and dinner, the Adam & Eve’s revamped menu includes a wide range of reasonably priced dishes. Small plates (or starters, if you will) include melting Padron peppers with smoked sea salt (£6) and scampi-like crispy mussel popcorn with samphire tartare (£8), lamb nuggets with harissa fondue (£8), truffled mac and cheese croquettes (£6.50) and spiced chicken wings (£6).
There’s also pub grub classics like Adam’s cheeseburger (£14.50), sausage and mash (£13), steak and ale pie (£ 15.50), fish (in Young’s beer batter), chips and mushy peas (£14.50) and battered sausage with chips and curry sauce (£12). The flat iron steak is plump, anything but flat, and comes with tasty tarragon butter (£16.50).
Head Chef Tony Sweeny’s specials include British hake with spiced lentils and cucumber & chilli salsa (£16), and lighter options such as honeyed goat’s cheese, beetroot and walnut salad (£10). The hake really is rather good – well-cooked fish on a soft bed of lentils, gently flavoured with curry and topped with fresh chopped salsa with a slight crunch.
There’s also an interesting vegan reinterpretation of fish and chips recipe using banana blossom instead of the fish with a side of chips, vegan tartar and mushy peas (£11). On Sundays, the Adam & Eve serves up traditional roasts with all the trimmings as well as the weekday menu.
Although there are no apples on the menu, amongst the puds there’s a tempting apple and quince crumble with custard (£7.50). The vegan chocolate brownie with coconut ice cream and hazelnut brittle (£7.50) is satisfying enough even for the most carnivorous diner.
As a Young’s pub there is, of course, a good range of cask ales and craft beers, wines from the old world and the new, and cocktails. The wine list is split by theme (e.g. Whites – Crisp & Fruity, Aromatic & Spicy; Reds – Soft & Fruity, Savoury & Complex). There’s no house wine as such but the least expensive is excellent quality.
The Adam & Eve is open for you to raise a glass or five to the England Rugby team (or whoever you’re supporting) for the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan as well as Premier and Champions League action. Their Live Sports web page shows which matches will be shown on the six screens dotted around the walls.
For those of us who have to work for a living, the pub’s ‘Tree of Life’ hot-desking space offers free Wifi and plenty of plugs galore. For corporate and group events there’s a well-appointed private room tastefully decorated with hanging ivy and contemporary lighting.
Whatever you come to the Adam & Eve for, you’ll enjoy good food, drink and a welcoming atmosphere. Oscar Wilde famously said he could resist everything except temptation, so be like Oscar – give it up and drop into the new Adam & Eve.
The Adam & Eve
77A Wells Street,
London,
W1T 3QQ
Opening Times
Monday to Friday: 10:00-23:00 Food served: 11:00-22:00
Saturday: 12:00-23:00 Food served: 12:00-22:00
Sunday: 12:00-21:00 Food served: 12:00-21:00
Looking for other places to eat around Oxford Circus? We’ve recently tried the afternoon tea at the Berners Tavern and liked it a lot!
Anetka says
What an awesome interior! Need to go there!