You're reading: Baskerville pub strives for that English touch

In trying to deliver an authentic pub dining experience, the owners of Baskerville set their course for England. Unfortunately, it appears they were detained somewhere around the Ukrainian border.

Beyond the sign that features a silhouette of a Meerschaum pipe and a Sherlock Holmes hat with its distinctive brim, Baskerville’s interior bears a vague resemblance to a traditional English eating and drinking establishment. The substantial wooden tables and stools, the wooden chandeliers and the flagstone floor hint at the theme. But it suffers from a cold, euro-remont feel. It is remarkably clean to the point of feeling sterile. The interior is bright and spare, the fireplace faux, and the bar adorned in tile.

The television is locked onto the music video channel (muted) and the musical selections consist of a looped series of instrumental versions of pop favorites. It is remarkable how much muzak version of Elton John’s “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” sounds like the original.

You can almost feel the menu striving to break free of its Ukrainian roots. The cold salads cost roughly Hr 15 and are composed of all things diced: apples, prunes, cabbage, nuts, mushrooms and fish. They range from the mayonnaise-based old favorites, to the simple “European” salad of chopped vegetables with oil-and-vinegar dressing.

The soup offerings are dominated by borsch and salyanka and an attempt at some more esoteric fare in the form of the French Cream Soup (Hr 10.43). The culinary cultural crisis continues with the appetizer offerings, which consist of everything from pelmeny to calamari and range from Hr 15 to Hr 25.

The main dishes tend toward heavy meats – steaks, mutton, lamb, goose liver – with some salmon and sturgeon dishes thrown into the mix. They are all reasonably priced at roughly Hr 30 per dish. But again, Baskerville’s attempts at pub fare get mired in Ukrainian culinary methods and materials.
The French cream soup turned out to be a thin, mushroom-intensive concoction with visible oil pockets. The toasted crouton garnish was a nice touch, but beyond that, there was little about this dish that felt French.

Baskerville was on the road to redeeming itself with the Calamari in Rose Sauce (Hr 19.48). The calamari was tender and plentiful and the wine sauce flavorful and rich. It was a little too powerful to stand alone and would have been better served over a bed of linguine, but with ample hunks of bread it made a very tasty appetizer.

Unfortunately, Baskerville took a major detour with the Mutton Mrs. Haddis (Hr 35.05). It is served on the bone with a thick cream and liqueur sauce. Or, I should say, it’s a bone with a thick cream and liqueur sauce. I’m not sure who Mrs. Haddis is, but I say, old chap, she’s a trifle stingy with the meat, which was overcooked and gristly. The sauce itself still tasted of un-evaporated alcohol.

On the flip side, the drink prices are very competitive. A half-liter of Slavutych goes for Hr 7 and 100 grams of Densa cognac for Hr 8. There is also a wide selection of French, Ukrainian and Georgian wines.

Baskerville is a pub only in theory. While the presentation and service are admirable, in terms of cuisine and atmosphere, authentic English bar culture is lacking. Then again, Baskerville is clean and reasonably priced and may not be a bad place to wile away the evening hours over a pint or two.

Baskerville offers a business lunch for Hr 18.