There's nothing wrong in being a tourist. Places become tourist cliches usually because they're worth seeing, things like the London Eye and Big Ben and the British Museum. But after you've seen them, if you have a sense of curiosity, there are other places to explore. Some are slightly off the beaten path. Others are…more so.
When I was in London in May, my now-Norwegian stepdaughter was visiting there, too, and she'd
expressed her desire for a real English pub lunch, which has its roots in the Sunday lunch, or what we'd call Sunday dinner. (In my smalltown childhood, it was always served upon arriving home after church.) The traditional Sunday roast, you know. The Curry Mate was determined to give her ma what she wanted, and we ended up at quite a spot.
The pub is called The Prospect of Whitby. It's old. Really old. It dates back to, they think, the early 1500's – we're talking the reign of Henry the Eighth here. And it's right on the Thames River, between the Tower of London and Greenwich with its Observatory and Naval Museum and Mean Time.
Getting there takes a little work. It's beyond the last tube stop; one has to transfer to the Docklands Light Rail, built as the new construction farther down on the Thames grew. But the Oyster Card, or transit pass, covers that trip. After one alights at the first DLR stop, there's a stroll of perhaps ten blocks through a real neighborhood down to the pub.
Yes, a balcony outside the upstairs dining room, and an outdoor area on the ground floor, all good for looking at the river and thinking about history. Lots of photographs of famous clients – we spotted Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier as part of a group in an old black and white photo, for instance. Curry Mate, being a Pollack, had known to reserve, or book ahead, as they say, definitely a good idea.
Three of us did the roast lunch, one roast beef and two roast lamb, each with Yorkshire pudding, roast potatoes, and "lashings of gravy" per the menu, and indeed, it was generously ladled. The dreaded vegetable medley even reared its hoary head. Our fourth person went for the Cod Father – two large pieces of fish battered and fried, the large English french fries known as chips and mushy peas, which are made from dried peas and often, although not here, seasoned with a little mint. Cocktails for the two other females, draft cider for the Cod Father and me. The food wasn't bad, just very simple.
We sat right next to the table by the bow window that the late Princess Margaret favored. If the balcony outside was as popular on her visits as it was on ours, she might not have seen much, but the view from it was delicious, and the outdoor tables were under a willow tree. Folks pulled up in a small boat, let their dogs ramble on the shore while they had a pint, and left.
Smartphones make the walk from the DLR station much easier, or if necessary, one can print out directions before leaving one's hotel. It would be a challenge for a driver who didn't know the territory. But for an afternoon out, it's worth it if you're tired of Buckingham Palace. And Princess Margaret, I reflected, didn't have to drive herself.
The Prospect of Whitby
57 Wapping Wall, London
02074811095
Lunch and Dinner daily
Credit cards: Yes