I don't think I've really walked through Mayfair before. So many times I've been close along Regent or Oxford Streets, but that corner I've always associated with the last blue tile for $400 on the Monopoly board. Not to mention afterwards I wandered down Saville Row knowing I can't afford anything there.
Anyway it is British Pie Week and all lists have The Windmill in it. They also make sure to mention their award winning pie status. And yes, I joined their pie club expectantly. For Mayfair, I was rather pleasantly surprised that the venue was a sports pub, showing rugby and a more civilised clientele than the typical sporting pubs. Maybe in the evenings or in bigger matches that might change. I suppose the £14 pie price makes it a certain type of person who would go there anyway.
The award winning Steak & Kidney pie came with mash (recommended over the fries for a bit of extra moisture in the meal). I was tempted to get another side of salad but the lovely waitress told me it would be enough food without it. The pie is excellent. The most exceptional part is the suet pastry crust, of which I recently learnt suet is animal fat. The pastry is a complex mix of crisp but not flaky, on the contrary it's chewy. It didn't have the real buttery texture or flavour of pastry I'm used to liking in Australia. This was different and really really good. I may have enjoyed the pastry more than the filling. It was a reasonable quality beef (not the most tender but fine) with some mushrooms and kidney pieces with that unmistakable visceral taste.
To finish things off, I was awarded a mini Chivas Regal to celebrate pie week.
I'll be back for the pies, specifically the pastry with whatever filling takes my fancy at the time.