OnTheTable: Golden Bee Serves up British Pub Nostalgia

GOLDEN BEE
Rating: 4.5/5
1 Lake Ave.
broadmoor.com/dining/golden-bee
Hours: 11:30am-1:30am, daily
Prices: $13-$29
What you need to know: Superb service, with food and atmosphere that excellently transport to 19th century London

The Golden Bee beckons diners back to 19th century London with its alluring decor of heavily lacquered woods, hand-carved mahogany, brass tacks and thick leather; and then offers them such whimsies as yards of beer pulled from a classic selection of British ales, ol’ time performers banging on the saloon’s piano, sing-songs struck up by jovial patrons and comforting-to-the-point-of-drowsy, pub grub.
The Broadmoor, owner and operator of the pub, continues to conjure its legendary services — in this instance, via an olde time, British saloon. Come for the charm, stay for the drinks, food and service.

The Golden Bee is not so foolhardy to be caught up in food trends. Classics dominate the menu, such as fish and chips ($16, a heavy dish with crispy breading and flaky cod, malt vinegar recommended), shepherd’s pie ($17, a rich and satisfyingly deep stew, the most comforting of comfort foods) and bread pudding ($10, a perfect balance of textures, with a seasonal twist of orange/cardamom). Even the gin selection reads like a who’s who of the spirit so inextricably associated with Britain. The featuring of Oxley, the fresh and complexly botanical gin ($14, with tonic), is an unusual and welcome surprise.

Such straight-laced authenticity is surely intentional. Locals and tourists alike flock to the Bee for a nostalgically foggy stroll along the Thames, or maybe over heather moors — whether the nostalgia stems from a past visit to the U.K., or merely from a Hollywood that is enamored with all things British, either way the Bee’s authentic pub food perpetuates the Anglophilia.

As to be expected from The Broadmoor, the only item that stood out beyond the ambiance and food was the service. Guests are treated as valuably unique, with special requests never eliciting hesitancies. Wish to know how the slow-cooked, confit pork appetizer ($12) retained its pleasing pink hue? The waitstaff will inquire with the chef. (It’s smoked, and the confit process produces a luscious, shredded pork.) Wish to know if the Graham Cracker Porter ($7.75, 12oz can) is sweet? The server will share her personal tasting notes. (Even if you do end up mildly disagreeing; no, thankfully, it was not overtly sweet for a porter). Wish for a second helping of the Bee’s famous, house-made cheese spread (complimentary accoutrement of the table crackers)? They’ll happily comply and explain that it’s so addicting because it’s gussied up with sherry, horseradish and garlic.

A word on the confit pork, the paramount dish of the evening: cloaked in its own, rich juices and luxuriously mounded over slices of toasted garlic baguette, the shredded pork was then topped with a bright, acid-forward arugula (or as the Brits say, “rocket”) slaw that cut right through the richness, bringing you back for bight after bight. Exemplary on all counts.

The Golden Bee offers what so few eateries can: truly good food and excellent service, operating within the framework of a nostalgic theme, without a whiff of cheesiness — other than that which emanates from that famous cheese spread, of course.
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