The Idle Hour

I was incredibly surprised by this place!
We decided to check out this place as a pre-​easter afterwork meal due to a rumour that they serve a burger worth getting the train for. So we 3 men ventured down to see if these rumours were true. If you don’t want to read the rest of the review. Yes they are.
The restaurant is really hidden so was an effort to actually locate. Once inside, the first thing that took me by surprise is how spacious and light it was inside. You wouldn’t know it was there from the outside!
We sat up at the bar as it was quiet, bought a round of Belgium beers on draft and relaxed next to the lit fireplace. There is also the pubs cat that made itself known to us which was a nice touch.
After chatting to the barmaid for a while (both very friendly) our burgers arrived. Medium rare. Juicy. Goose fat fries. Simply amazing. This burger was so much higher quality than I was expecting.
The food went down so well and I only wish I took a photo to add to the review!
To summarise, the rumours of the decent burgers at The Idle Hour are true, and even though I am publishing this public review, I will be spreading the rumour in secret too.
Check this place out if you’re near Barnes!

Great place, great food, crazy owner…
We had a great night out in this cozy little gastropub, hidden away in Barnes.
Stay away from the Jaegermeister… dangerous stuff, whatever the owner Stephen says.
Well worth a visit… we will be back

I love this place and i used to be a regular for dining multiple times a week when i lived in Barnes. It’s tucked away down the smallest little walkway and you have to pass a couple of good pubs on the way there but it is worth visiting.
The burger is the most amazing burger, i would rate it as my favorite in London and it’s such a small, cosy, friendly little bar. I’ve sampled most of the menu and it’s always been good food made from exceptional ingredients.
Worth trying at least once is the Alaskan king crab, just like what they fish in the discovery channels deadliest catch documentary series.

Fabulous, wonderous pub, had an absolutely fantastic Saturday night there. Warm, inviting and with an excellent atmosphere, can’t say enough to recommend spending an evening searching out and enjoying this hidden gem…

The Idle Hour is a special little gastropub hidden on a tiny path in Barnes. It is absolutely worth the hunt to find it (luckily, I happen to live down the road and pass it every time I go to the gym, so I have some inside knowledge).
It appears to be a well-​kept secret, but the lovely Barnes locals keep it busy even on weeknights. The bar’s owner, Stephen, has really made The Idle Hour his own, even offering Alaskan King Crab on the menu and handpicking all the wines and beers on offer at the bar.
Make a booking, that’s my advice. Even on a Thursday night, we were almost turned away. Luckily, the hostess/​waitress took pity on us and gave us the last remaining 4-​top — risky. But I’m so glad she did, because the whole evening was a standout in my mind. I had a couple of glasses of pinot grigio while the boy enjoyed a large hoegaarden. The menu was different than your average gastro in London. No sausages and mash in sight! The chips are cooked in goose fat, which probably makes for an exceptionally tasty plate of fried goodness, but is no bueno for vegetarians.
I had the filo pastry with goat’s cheese and spinach pie to start, and a bulgar wheat and prawn salad for the main. Both were really great, and elegantly served with baby leaves of coriander.
Clocks adorn all of the walls in the Idle Hour, none of which are set to the correct time, literally making you feel like you could spend hours in here and not know how long you’ve stayed. It’s a wonderful thing.
They have a small garden which is open for dining in the summer, and I’ll definitely be back in the warmer months.
My only criticism involved the placement of our table. We were right next to the small kitchen and I noticed my hair smelled of goose fat when I got home.
But I don’t want to end this review on a sour note — it is truly worth a visit for dinner. Take advantage of their special offers. £14.50 for a starter and a main from Sun-​Thurs nights. That’s a deal.

A cracking little pub in Barnes that takes some finding. You can’t park outside as it’s down a walkway from the main street. There is a great quality to the cooking here, whether you go for Sunday roasts or the King Crab they serve. If you are in a rush for your food don’t bother as this place takes its cooking seriously and won’t hurry just to get the plates on the table. Also if you want a Sunday roast you need to book. The positive of this is that you don’t need to worry about food produced on a large scale without the care it deserves — these guys aren’t in the business to shift units as they really care about what they are doing. The wine menu is small but carefully selected and it’s all organic too — this place cares a lot about everything it does!