Waldegrave Arms & Siyansh Cocktail Bar

Just what London needs - another pub trying to cash in on the fusion food trend. The Waldegrave Arms & Siyansh Cocktail Bar sounds like it was named by a committee throwing darts at a board of trendy buzzwords. And yet, here I am, reluctantly penning what might actually be a recommendation. The audacity.

Let's address the elephant in the room: a traditional London pub serving Indian cuisine alongside craft cocktails could have been a disaster of identity-crisis proportions. The kind of place that makes you question whether the owner's dartboard of concepts included "authentic pub experience" and "modern Indian fusion" on the same wall. But somehow, against all odds and my better judgment, the Waldegrave Arms in London pulls it off with an elegance that pains me to acknowledge.

The moment you walk in, you're struck by how they've managed to preserve the soul of a proper London pub while subtly weaving in contemporary Indian elements. It's like watching a Shakespeare play set in modern times - it shouldn't work, but when done right, it absolutely does. The dark wood paneling and traditional bar setup remain, but they're accented with clever touches of subcontinental flair that don't scream "cultural appropriation gone wrong."

I arrived determined to find fault with their cocktail program. The Siyansh Cocktail Bar portion of their identity seemed particularly ripe for criticism. Instead, I found myself sipping one of the most perfectly balanced cardamom-infused Old Fashioneds I've had the pleasure of encountering. Their two-for-£15 cocktail deal during Thursday and Friday happy hours is surprisingly generous for London, though I'm slightly annoyed at how happy this makes me.

The food menu is where they could have really stumbled, trying to please everyone and ultimately pleasing no one. Yet here too, they've managed to thread the needle between pub classics and Indian cuisine with remarkable finesse. Their grilled selections showcase a masterful understanding of spice and technique, while the more traditional pub fare holds its own without feeling like an afterthought.

What's particularly irritating is how well they've trained their staff. Unnati, our server, displayed the kind of attentiveness that makes you feel genuinely cared for without hovering like an anxious helicopter parent. The bar team, led by Preet, knows their craft well enough to make proper recommendations without the pretentious mixology lecture you might expect from a place serving drinks with this level of sophistication.

They've also managed to nail the practical aspects that so many establishments get wrong. The space works equally well for intimate dinners or group gatherings, with a downstairs private room that's actually worth booking for special occasions. They're dog-friendly (because of course they are), offer takeout and delivery for those nights when you can't be bothered to put on proper trousers, and have implemented contactless payments because they've apparently heard of this thing called the 21st century.

The pricing sits in that sweet spot where you can't quite complain but also aren't completely convinced you're getting a bargain. Main courses and cocktails are priced competitively for London, though you might find yourself ordering "just one more" of either more often than your budget strictly allows.

Look, I didn't want to like the Waldegrave Arms & Siyansh Cocktail Bar. I really didn't. London has enough gastropubs and cocktail bars and Indian restaurants without someone trying to be all three at once. But they've managed to create something that actually adds value to the city's dining scene, and I find myself becoming increasingly irritated by how often I'm recommending it to friends.

If you must know - and I say this through gritted teeth - you should probably book a table at the Waldegrave Arms. Whether it's for the craftily spiced grilled dishes, the thoughtfully constructed cocktails, or just to prove me wrong, you'll likely end up joining the growing ranks of regulars who, like me, came to scoff but stayed to savor. Just don't tell them I sent you. I have a reputation to maintain.