Last Updated on August 16, 2025
Country Pursuits in the Heart of the City
An old favourite of mine, the Jugged Hare sits on the edge of the Barbican in the most unlikely of settings. Its traditional style exterior contrasts the brutalist architecture of the Barbican Centre, with a strategically placed gas street lamp just outside the window. Walk in through the vibrant pub – somewhere that always seems to be busy – and down a step or two into the cosy restaurant. You may just get the feeling that you are being watched, as the walls are lined with game trophies. The Jugged Hare would be a cruel place to bring a vegetarian. But for those with a carnivorous inclination, when it’s game season there’s no better place to be.
The Jugged Hare takes its ethics seriously. Part of the ETM group of restaurants, it is affiliated to the British Game Alliance with strict rules for the culling and shooting of game. While grouse season opens on 12 August, October to December is prime time for game birds. The restaurant serves what the suppliers have been able to shoot on any particular day and when we arrived there was Woodcock on offer from North Yorkshire. Venison is also served when available. The Jugged Hare operates all year round, of course, not just during the game season. Throughout the year it champions British beef with market cuts from Lyons Hill Farm in Dorset on the menu for our visit. The whole menu is sourced in Britain.
The restaurant walls are lined with banquette seating, with wooden tables and chairs filling the remainder of the space. There’s a semi-open kitchen where you can watch the finishing touches being made to your own dishes and others. I’m always fascinated to see chefs working on the pass – it’s all part of the theatre of dining out. Sitting with a glass of champagne in hand, waiting for my companion, I had the perfect vantage point.
To start, my companion ordered the potted Scottish salmon with gherkins, creme fraiche and soda bread, a dish he described as pleasantly piquant and refreshing, with a generous helping of flaky salmon with a creamy dressing, accompanied by nutty soda bread.
My order of Herefordshire snails with garlic and parsley butter and a baguette was spot on – the kind of dish I love to order when I spot it on the menu because I stand no chance of making it at home. The snails were served with a lavish helping of rich garlic and parsley butter (gentle reader, fret not, the parsley is supposed to offset garlic on the breath). And the baguette was warm with a crisp crust and a fluffy centre that was perfect for wiping the dish clean. Plump and tender with absolutely no rubbery texture, the only place that can rival these snails I know of in London is the eponymous ‘l’Escargot’.
It stands to reason that if you visit somewhere called The Jugged Hare you should order their signature dish. I did just that and am now craving a return visit. Growing up in Norfolk I ate a lot of game and although I don’t remember trying jugged hare as a child, this dish had all the depth of flavour you would expect. It’s a dish I always order if it’s on the menu in a country pub – a hearty stew where if you didn’t know you might struggle to guess what you are eating, a red meat that is curiously rich and gamey. It’s made with wild Norfolk hare which is braised and thickened in its own blood, served in a jug (although that isn’t something I’ve seen anywhere else!). And, it’s perfect for a chilly winter’s evening. Served here with rich, buttery mash and savoy cabbage spotted with bacon it was fabulous.
My companion ordered the Lincolnshire pheasant and wholegrain mustard pie with mash and gravy and a side dish of tenderstem broccoli with smoked almonds. It was a dish I’d been fascinated to see being prepared on the pass. Each pie, instead of a ceramic pie funnel, had a pheasant’s claw carefully placed in the centre. An intriguing presentation – a kind of game ‘stargazy’ – we loved the idea! The pastry was rich and flaky while the filling was tender, sweet and melting. We both loved the beautifully cooked broccoli with its nutty garnish, one I’ll be borrowing for home!
Dessert wasn’t really necessary – and I was somewhat disappointed that there was no way I could order sticky toffee pudding. In the end, we opted for a portion of vanilla ice cream and a dark chocolate tart with blackberry jam and whipped creme fraiche which was beautifully presented, although with pastry that seemed a little heavy.
We drank a bottle of Soito Dao 2016 with our meal. It’s a soft and fruity Portuguese wine with lovely firm tannins and spicy notes, an unusual wine to see on the list and one which I really enjoyed and can recommend for red meats and game!
For those of us who don’t live in the lofty towers of the Barbican or work in the City, it’s easy to overlook The Jugged Hare. That’s a shame – it’s one of the best places I know in London for traditional British dishes cooked well and presented with flair, and one I really should recommend more often. There are limited plant-based and veggie options, but I’d venture to suggest that if you have someone who doesn’t eat meat in your party, you might be more comfortable at Chiswell Street Dining Room, also from ETM Group and just a stone’s throw away. With a menu that has snacks and starters from around £5 to £15 and main courses from £20 upward, The Jugged Hare is reasonable value for this part of London and somewhere where you will find traditional British game dishes that are rare these days. The perfect place to engage in a few country pursuits without leaving the City
The Jugged Hare
49 Chiswell St,
Barbican
London EC1Y 4SA
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