The restaurant section of The Bishop
The Berkeley has a pub now?
The Bishop is the winter season makeover for the outside space at the back of this Knightsbridge hotel. In previous years, it's been more of an Alpine chalet kind of place but this year it's had a rather more dramatic makeover and has been converted into a mini pub, with a menu to match - albeit five-star hotel style.
Where can I find The Bishop?
It's around the back of the hotel, on the opposite side to the main Knightsbridge road. You can either make your way through the hotel or go past the main entrance (all beautifully lit up for the winter) take a left and you'll find it opposite the big church (St Paul's). It's all completely covered and heated - we visited during a rainstorm and you wouldn't know about the terrible weather once ensconced in the pub.
The pub itself is split into two halves. One part is the bar - yes you can grab a pint here - think of it more of a saloon-type bar. The other half is the main restaurant. Each part does a pretty good job of looking like a London pub, although when we went the dart board hadn't yet arrived. We've seen a few "pubs" popping up across town of late, and this is the one that really feels like it's going the extra mile for that pubby feel.
The separate entrance to The Bishop
So what can we expect from the food?
It's The Berkeley's take on pub food - so you'll find some very recognisable dishes throughout. The bar area concentrates on snacks, so there you'll find crispy pork scratchings, Welsh ‘Rare-bites’ (snack-sized rarebit) and black pudding croquettes. Head into the main room and you'll find slightly more substantial food and there's also a daily special on offer too. Here's a taste of what we tried during a preview evening.
Rabbit and prawn pie - a Saturday special (£29) and while it may seem like an unusual combination it really works.
The Bishop's Scotch egg served with vegetable slaw and tomato chutney (£12)
Homemade Angus beef burger, fried egg (£28)
Grass-fed Angus beef wellington with mushroom puree, port gravy and truffle mash - a Wednesday special (£43)
Sticky toffee pudding, vanilla ice cream in a brandy snap basket, toffee sauce (£15) - honestly the lightest toffee pudding we've ever had.
Molten stout chocolate cake, Amaretto ice cream (£15)
Anything else to note?
In addition to the above, there's also The Bishop's fish pie with smoked haddock, mussels, salmon (£27) and crispy chicken kiev with red pepper mayonnaise (£19). There's not a huge amount on the vegetarian-only side, but you can find a baked onion squash with spelt & kale and chestnuts (£18) or an aromatic falafel burger (£21).
Being a pub, there is of course a Sunday lunch menu on offer as well. Choices on Sunday are a Herb-roasted Surrey Hills Angus sirloin (£42), Spit-roasted Norfolk Black Leg chicken (£41), Tamworth pork belly (£33) or a Savoy cabbage, confit root vegetables and winter truffle turnover (£22) - all served with the usual trimmings.
And what about drinks?
As mentioned, they have brought in their own beer, sourced from a Sussex brewery, including The Bishop pale ale and their own stout. Unlike many a London pub, you'll also see a big focus on Champagne by the glass, so there's still a fair bit of influence from the main hotel.
Overall thoughts
The pandemic made The Berkeley put the back of the hotel to great use - as an alfresco space in the summer months and as a semi alfresco winter space that has now evolved into their own take on The British pub. And they've done it all rather well indeed. There's a real feel of a pub throughout, despite being attached to the back of a five-star hotel. That paired with a menu of comforting classics and it's clear they're onto another winner for the winter here. Yes, it is pricier than other pubs, even in Knightbridge, but it's all done very well indeed.
More about The Bishop at The Berkeley
Where is it? Wilton Pl, London SW1X 7RL
How to book: Book online
Find out more: Visit their website or follow them on Instagram @the_berkeley
Hot Dinners ate as guests of The Berkeley. Prices are correct at the time of writing.
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