The Lexington: Award winning Pies

An iconic venue in London serving iconic British grub.

The Lexington in Pentonville has a unique history, hosting events and gigs for Londoners. Bands performing here such as Yeasayer and Black Mountain make it a name of note for those in the know.

So when I told friends I was invited to try  food at The Lexington there was some puzzled faces. Food? At The Lexington? Yes my dear those are my Friday night plans.

The Lexington is now home to Chef Nathan Perrin, a northern chef who went from the bar to the kitchen. Among his journey he invented the idea  of Pie Tapas and turned this thought of different flavours into a special award winning Pie for the faithful. At The Lexington, Perrin has focused his talents and ideas of  to a meal of delight with an array of mashes to go with the pies.

Fiery Jerk Chicken Pie

A glance at the menu and especially the pies gives you an indication of something fun and exciting and this is perhaps why Nathan has proved popular in this venue. Beef Bourguignon, Jerk Chicken, Rabbit and a breakfast option. These are all the options screaming out from the venue and almost leave you in a daze. Which one to eat and unfortunately, which one to miss out on?

With so much confusion, I did what any man would do. I asked for direction; a recommendation from the chef to be more precise. So the night before at the British Pie awards Chef Perrin received a Bronze Award for his Beef Bourguignon pie, that meant we had to get that one. The second choice was harder and was mine to make alone. I went for the "fiery jerk chicken". The mash we chose were Cheese with whole grain mustard and suede and Carrot Mash for the two pies respectively.

The pies were presented on top of a ring of Mash. Laura had claimed the beef pie and I the chicken.
The beef was definitely the better one. Tasty, hot and full of flavour which the red wine helped to bring out. This with the firm and tasty pastry was a good meal. The combination of well cooked meat and good amount of alcohol was exactly what it said on the tin and together with the mash was a good tie. Laura gave this two thumbs up for sure and is already asking when I will take her back.

The jerk chicken was a lot more subtle. With sweet potato inside and the mash below felt like an over indulgence of root veg for me. This trio of potato, suede and carrot mean that the fiery jerk was mellowed greatly and was lost in the pie.

The Lexington has a great and friendly vibe to it and is a place I will revisit for both a drink and a pie. The pie is hearty and welcoming and the fact that you can enjoy it at this iconic venue makes it even better. An award winning pie the boirguignon stands out and with other options such as Rabbit and Cheese pies means that the need to go back is even greater. Thanks Lexington, thanks chef Perrin.