The Dog & Fox: Review

In the centre of Wimbledon Village lies the historic, always busy and much loved pub The Dog & Fox. The pub has been there since the 1800s and has been a popular destination ever since. Known for a friendly atmosphere, good food and lots of events, it is a crowd pleasing place to visit in Wimbledon.

The pub underwent a huge development a few years ago and now also boosts an exquisite 17 bedroom boutique hotel.

As a regular of the pub I have loved The Dog & Fox for years. I’ve seen my friend’s bands play, celebrated countless birthdays and enjoyed a tasty dinner or two. The one thing I had always been curious about was the hotel part which from the photos I had seen always looked incredible.

When offered the opportunity to stay and experience the boutique hotel for myself I couldn’t say no!

Walking into my room for the night was a complete surprise. It was enormous, so stylish and I was convinced they must have put me in the wrong room. The Fox Suite was beautiful, stunning actually! Tall ceilings, beautiful floor to ceiling windows with views covering almost the whole of Wimbledon Village, beautiful art on the wall in the form of a huge tree print behind the bed, which really bought in the country feel of the common and made me feel incredibly cosy in the room. There was also animal illustrations which were dotted around which was a quirky and colourful decoration. One of the most quirky things was that there was a bath in the bedroom! It sat in the corner of the room in a warm alcove close to the bed and still in viewing sight of the TV on the wall. It was great to sit and admire the room from inside the bath. It felt very luxurious.

The enormous four poster ornate wooden bed seemed to stand up elegantly in the room and was covered with rich red velvet cushions, crisp white cotton sheets and a fake fur throw made the bed incredibly enticing and cosy on a cold night.

For a special treat my friend and I decided that we would love to enjoy the food and room together so ordered our entire meal as room service. It was a lot of fun and felt incredibly decadent but was a very special experience.

We started our meal with a glass of the Corte Delle Calli Prosecco di Valdobbiadene Superiore while we waited for our starters. It was a beautiful fresh and rich Prosecco with a hint of a sweetness and full of bubbles.

I was very impressed that the drinks menu has a wonderful range of locally brewed and made beers and spirits. It was nice to see that the pub supported so many local companies.

We were very impressed by the starters and sharers on the menu and decided to indulge and order the seared black pearl scallops with sweetcorn custard, crispy pancetta and micro coriander which was my friends favourite dish of the night. It was simple, beautifully presented and tasted superb. We also ordered the Rosary goat’s cheese and leek tart with tomato and chilli jam with vine tomatoes. The tart looked beautiful with the pastry crispy and the filing full and inviting, the bright hits of red from the tomatoes added a great splash of colour to the dish.

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To have along side these starters we chose two sharing plates; the Nutbourne Heritage tomato salad with golden beets, red meat radish with mozzarella and kale pesto. Plus the warm sourdough bread with an olive oil and balsamic vinegar dipping pot. The bread was crisp and warm plus served with a little salted butter, it was delicious. Bread and butter done well is a hard task but when done right it’s incredible. On a cold autumn night these sharing platters reminded us of summer evenings. The fresh tomatoes with the creamy mozzarella and the sharp pesto flavour worked so well with the other dishes and added a beautiful freshness to this part of the meal.

For our mains we decided to explore the range of classic pub food and the most gastronomic speciality. I chose the Classic British Beef Burger served in a brioche bun with cheese, ale onions, pickle and chunky chips. I love a proper pub beef burger and this one didn’t disappoint. The beef was well cooked with it still being a little pink in the middle and although it looked huge on the plate it was a good sized portion.

To drink I enjoyed a rich and fruity Coleccion Privada Reserva Merlot filled with a rich vanilla and blackberry taste. The fruity flavours worked surprisingly well with the beef but came into their own with the chocolate tart and pannacotta we had for dessert.

My friend chose the superb Aberdeen Angus fillet of beef with confit garlic potato, wilted spinach, red wine shallots, truffle oil and veal jus. It was a quality piece of meat and was served beautifully which added to the experience of fantastic pub food. The whole meal was stacked up in a beautiful tower with the beef proudly sat on the top crowned with a giant red wine shallot.

The fillet was enjoyed with a savoury and complex wine, the Chateau Grand Pascaud Bordeaux. It had a stunning flavour with a deep and earthy quality which complimented the rich flavours of the fillet of beef perfectly.

We couldn’t finish our meal without something sweet from the menu to share. We decided to go for a fresh and fruity vanilla bean pannacotta with summer berries and the decadent and rich dark chocolate and caramel tart. The individual puddings were very special, but enjoying both together worked a treat. The flavours complimented each other and with a few spoonfuls we had finished our wonderful meal.

We cuddled up in the massive bed with all the blankets and fell asleep in what felt like a dream. A stunning room, good friend and delicious food. What more could you ask for.

Book a table or room: dogandfoxwimbledon.co.uk