The story
The Hero, at 55 Shirland Road in Maida Vale, London, is a British pub kitchen that earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand for 2026, recognised for good quality, good value cooking.
The ground floor keeps to pub staples, with pork scratchings, leek rarebit with pickled walnut, and fish finger roll on the menu. Heavier plates include pork chop with mustard, cod with celeriac and bacon, and a chicken and tarragon pie. The first-floor Grill Room is the place for larger cuts, including a T-bone served with marrow. Chips, mash and green salad come as sides.
The Good Food Guide describes a Victorian pub dating from 1810, with timber frames, emerald-green tiling and three levels, the top one a private dining room. Upstairs, high corniced ceilings, sash windows, oak panelling and leather banquettes give the Grill Room its character. The drinks list runs from a range of beers and ciders to classic cocktails and a no and low selection. The wine list is built to suit a range of budgets, with most bottles also available by the glass.
Recognition
Ambience
Details
History
good quality, good value cooking
Dating from 1810, this Victorian pub in Maida Vale is a real looker, restored to something like its heritage glory by the team behind the Pelican in Notting Hill. Timber frames and emerald-green tiling abound, and the place now operates across three levels (including an intimate private dining room at the very top). On the ground floor is a proper local complete with chesterfields, real ales and a menu of heroically British pub classics – we’re talking about lamb ribs, cheese toasties, cod cheeks, Barnsley chops, fish pie, roast chicken and other simple but satisfying staples. Up on the first floor, the self-styled Grill Room is a very different prospect. We felt as if we had been upgraded to business class as we admired the high corniced ceilings, sash windows, natural oak panelling and leather banquettes, while the arrival of warm brioche with creamy salted butter added to the feel-good vibe – as did the sharp, jaunty service. The menu focuses on special cuts of meat and fish cooked over an open fire: lightly charred lamb’s sweetbreads came with a silky lobster gravy enriched with clotted cream, while a centrepiece dish of well-timed monkfish on the bone arrived atop a pile of finely sliced runner beans with a scattering of salty capers. To finish, keep it traditional with lemon tart or Eton mess. A cracking little wine list has been tailored to suit most budgets, with just about everything available by the glass.
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