The new Queen of the Park

This review was first published in February 2001

Move over, The Salusbury. Look over your shoulder, William IV. And watch out, The Paradise. There's a new kid on the gastro-pub block in NW6. And it's not afraid of the older kids either.

Astons has had either the cheek or the vision, depending upon your point-of-view, to install itself in the heart of enemy territory, down a quiet, narrow road at the side of the Granddaddy of them all, The Paradise.

Where once was the Grey Horse now stands Astons. And what a transformation. Gone are the orange swirly carpets, dartboard and - if you were lucky - platters of curling ham sandwiches. In its place is a whole new eating and chilling experience, cleverly tapping into the slush fund of disposable hard-earned that Queens Park seems to be awash with these days.

Thanks are due in large part to the very friends and neighbours from whom Astons will now be stealing custom. "The likes of the William and The Paradise have created the market and made this the right area for us," admits chef and manager Robert Armstrong. "We haven't had to spend a penny on advertising and we're busy every night. The competition has definitely been kind to us."

Indeed, since opening the bar a few days before Christmas (and the restaurant four weeks later), business has been better than their best guess would have had it; clearly the area was ready for a new venue.

"We'd like to think we're more chilled and laid-back than the competition," explains Robert, "and it seems that our customers feel that way too."

The double-fronted building splits neatly into pub/bar and restaurant with Robert doing the cooking and his partner Charlotte Nendick helping run the restaurant, and Colin Lunny taking care of the bar. With plenty of open space, statutory leather sofas and two seriously welcoming fires, it's the perfect venue for lounging, reading the papers and chatting.

Think elegance, not grunge. Sunday afternoons are to set to become big with live jazz in the afternoon, a brunch menu and a garden complete with motorised awning (a bit like the Millennium Stadium) in case of rain.

Prior to taking on Astons Robert and Charlotte lived and worked in Port Isaac, North Cornwall. The availability of freshly-landed fish and seafood in Cornwall has inspired much of the menu at Astons, with a heavy marine bias to main dishes, as well as at least one vegetarian dish daily.

For a starter, pray that you're there on a night when the ludicrously tasty baked asparagus spears in a Roquefort sauce are on offer. The night we visited the asparagus was cooked to delicate perfection, with the tangy richness of the sauce providing the perfect counterfoil.

For a main course, the grilled swordfish with pesto on a bed of mash was mouth-wateringly soft, melting without need for further chewing. It's worth mentioning, too, that when you order a main course, what appears is worthy of the description - as opposed to those establishments that stingily seem to confuse them with starters (at least until they add up the bill).