The Aeronaut is a lovely place for a chilled good-quality dinner away from the hustle and bustle of the ‘big smoke’.
Once inside, the dim lights, quaint furniture, and wooden candle-lit tables make for a really relaxing night, where one can get away from the stresses of life and have a good catch-up with friends.
The feel I got from the pub was that it attracts quite a ‘young professionals’ crowd, perhaps as it offers somewhere trendy to go in Acton.
To start I had the smoked aubergine and beetroot salad with baby leeks, tahini yoghurt, sumac and crispy flat bread, for £6.50. I thought the flavour was unique and adding the tahini and sumac backed up the pub’s aim of selling traditional British food but with hints of global influences.
My dinner date went for the liver pâté with bread, which was much simpler and more traditional than my option, but hearty and filling.
For my main meal I tried the pan fried hake, at £13.50, which I was really impressed with. The hake was served with butter beans in sauce vierge, a French sauce made from olive oil, lemon juice, chopped tomato and basil.
I thought the addition of butter beans made the dish interesting, as I find it’s not an ingredient that is used much. The sauce was also not familiar to me so I enjoyed trying something different and fresh.
My dinner date got the rump steak, costing £18.50; a grilled 12oz rump steak with Aeronaut’s very own Acton ale braised shallots, roasted cherry tomatoes, bone marrow butter and french fries. It was cooked as she asked for it, and the ‘fries’ were gigantic.
Aeronaut pride themselves in a constantly changing specials and desserts board.
It happened to be pancake day when my friend and I visited, so for dessert we couldn’t NOT have pancakes with nutella and banana, a special just for that day.
The chef made mini but thick pancakes which would satisfy any sweet tooth - they were nice and smooth and embraced the tradition of Shrove Tuesday.
Aeronaut offers a calm vibe but there are lots of lively activities going on throughout the week too, including comedy nights, pub quiz, dance lessons and a circus show every Friday.
Also, with a brewery that delivers up to 1,400 pints a week from just a couple of metres away, there’s always something to try from the behind the bar.
See www.aeronaut.pub for more information.
