Staff Writer
Based in the basement plaza of the Landmark Hotel, The Huntsman is a popular British-style pub serving beers on tap, expertly mixed cocktails, as well as an impressive array of food options, ranging from English pub favorites through to classic Thai dishes.
During my recent visit, Sweet Inspiration (pictured below), the venue's legendary house band, was performing, providing guests with a plethora of rock and pop classics.
The band recently reached its own significant landmark, celebrating its 5,000th live appearance at the hotel. The group's quality performances are a popular attraction at The Huntsman, and generate a good deal of repeat business for the venue, according to Steve Oates, the pub's genial marketing manager.
Live and direct:
Sweet Inspiration performs at The Huntsman from 8.30 pm-12.30 am (Sunday through Thursday) and from 9 pm through 1 am on Fridays and Saturdays. |
While the pub has a large expatriate clientèle, I noticed that this was nicely balanced thanks to the presence of a significant number of local patrons during my recent visit.
Fish and Chips '++'
While most people will be familiar with 'Fish n' Chips' (350 baht [US$11]), The Huntsman offers a very special treat on a Friday evening when chef can serve this dish using (imported) plaice (from France) rather than cod. This is specially ordered, so arrive early if you'd like to try it out in order to avoid disappointment!
I can assure readers that the plaice I sampled was absolutely superb. Plaice is a very delicate and flaky fish and works perfectly with the traditional English-style chips. This dish is served with a traditional parsley sauce as well as fresh peas – quite a rarity in Bangkok in their authentic form.
Another popular dish from the Huntsman's mouthwatering menu is BBQ Spare Ribs. A smaller group of diners can opt for a half slab (350 baht), while a larger group may wish to order a full slab (650 baht). I was particularly impressed by the delicious home-made BBQ sauce. Ribs come served with French fries and a large portion of coleslaw.
A princely pie
My dining companion chose another great British dish as their main course item – Steak and Kidney Pie (350 baht).
You'll see from the accompanying photo (above) just how pleasing on the eye this particular dish was, and since I also got to try a few bites, I can also attest to its exceptional quality.
As the photo illustrates, the pie (and dish) come covered in pastry. Along with the choice cuts of steak and kidney, which were both lean and plentiful, the pastry stood out as being of just the right flakiness to earn it this 'princely' description.
A fruit-filled finale
For dessert, I sampled The Huntsman's Sherry Trifle (160 baht).
Trifle is made of sponge soaked in sherry (a fortified, amber-colored wine), fruit cocktail, custard and whipped cream.
While trifle is a dessert I'm all too familiar with (as an Englishman myself), I must really highlight The Huntsman's version since it was absolutely superb. Rarely have I experienced a trifle featuring such generous quantities of berries, which really provide the dish with a particularly natural form of sweetness that compliments the fresh cream perfectly.
Other interesting items from 'Mum's Homemade Pastries, Desserts and Pudds' include Bread and Butter Pudding (160 baht), Rich Dark Chocolate Cake (160 baht) and Green Apple Cinnamon Crumble (280 baht).
The Huntsman is a 'net'-friendly pub (all prices quoted are 'net'), which opens daily from 11.30 am through 2 am.
Happy Hours
The Huntsman currently operates 'Happy Hours' between 3-9 pm, during which if you purchase a drink, you get one free.
Here is a list of example drink prices:
Local beers by the bottle: 199 baht
Imported beers by the bottle: 220 baht (Pure Blonde, Stowford Press)
295 baht (Corona, Strongbow, Erdinger Wheat)
Local draught beer: 150 baht (half pint)
220 baht (pint)
House wines: 300 baht per glass, 1,500 baht per bottle
Soft drinks: 125 baht
Chilled juices: 160 baht
Aperitifs: 280 baht (Campari, Cinzano, Pernod, Ricard, Pimm's No. 1)
Blended Scotch whiskies: 280 baht (Johnnie Walker Red, Ballantines, J&B, 100 Pipers)
Irish whiskey: 280 baht (Jameson)
Malt whiskey: 390 baht (Glenfiddich)
Thai whiskey: 220 baht |
For further information, or to make a reservation, call Tel: +66 (0)2 254 0404, extension 4045.
Transport connections:
Located at 138 Sukhumvit Road, The Huntsman is located in the basement plaza of The Landmark Hotel.
Train: The easiest way to reach the hotel is to take the BTS skytrain to Nana station. The hotel is just a short walk from the station.
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