Review

Edward Codrington was the captain of HMS Orion at the Battle of Trafalgar, one of England's finest hours and a pivotal event in European history. You'd think, therefore, that a pub would be proud to bear his name. Not this one, apparently. Someone has decided it would be much better if the pub were known as The Cod, they've even gone to the extent of designing a logo, a couple of cartoon fish, to help the name stick. Fair enough, a name like the Admiral Codrington invokes images of an old fashioned English boozer, which is clearly something the owners of this pub want to get away from. But if you're going to do it, do it properly and give the pub a new name, don't just bastardise the name of the good Admiral; know your history and respect it.

If you can get past the fact that someone, somehow connected with this place is a fucking idiot, you can start considering it as a pub. It's built in an area that was until 1885 a market garden. All hint of greenery has long since gone and it doesn't look the most likely place to find a pub, surrounded as it is by large warehouse type buildings. The inside of the pub is built around a large central, square bar. The walls are lined with colourful striped benches and there are plenty of comfy chairs and sofas about the place. The colours are the expected pastels of the trendy bar and the table lamps provide the soft lighting.

There are a few pictures on the wall, including two navy scenes that are the only sign of any acknowledgement of the name of the pub, the rest of the pictures are of rowing, rugby and cricket; the upper class pursuits likely to appeal to the cliental, for the Admiral Codrington is clearly catering for the Sloane Square toffs and trendies. It has certainly been successful attracting such a crowd in the past. Previous patrons have included the then Lady Diana Spencer, and Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson were regulars whilst planning their wedding. Let's hope the current crop of drinkers are slightly luckier in life.

The Admiral Codrington attracts many of its customers with its food; it's as much a restaurant as a pub. The entire courtyard behind the pub has been covered over and converted to a restaurant, with the unusual feature that the roof can be opened up to give it that alfresco feel. And obviously we're not talking ham and eggs here, but something slightly more high class, to be accompanied by wine not beer. An area at the side of the pub now acts as the outdoor drinking area; to call it a beer garden would be erroneous since, by definition, a garden has plants and there are none in evidence here.

Review by AJS