CheLondon - eatdrink Magazine

16 www.eatdrink.ca
restaurants
It seemed a near perfect day as
I walked past the wrought iron
fence and sunlit golden brickwork
of e Marienbad Restaurant
and Chaucer’s Pub. On entering, I was
immediately drawn into the Old World
charm and comfort of the interior. e
pub has padded hardwood chairs, a
natural stone replace, stained glass,
and an ancient piano in the corner: this
place denitely beckons you to enjoy
the consumption of some heartwarming
food and an excellent pint of beer.
e Marienbad is located on Carling
Avenue in London, just west of
Richmond Street. e almost hundredand-fty-year-old
building was the
original home of The London Free
Press. Housing a few other businesses
after the Free Press’s move, it became home
to the Marienbad and Chaucer’s on March 8,
1974. e Marienbad was intended to serve a
taste of central Europe; opened by a Czechoslovakian
native, it takes its name from the
famous Czech “Marienbad Spa.” Chaucer’s
was meant to echo that same atmosphere,
for a more casual pub crowd. Jerry Pribil,
the current owner of more than a decade,
and Chef Klaus Campbell have brought the
№ 32 | November/December 2011
European Tastes and Traditions
The Marienbad Restaurant and Chaucer’s Pub, in London
By ERIC NEAVES
Situated in one of the city’s more distinguished heritage
buildings, once home to The London Free Press, The Marienbad
exudes a charming Old World ambiance in Downtown London.
restaurant into its twenty-seventh year of
business without loosing any of that touch.
Chef Klaus Campbell, originally from Germany,
has been cooking since his apprenticeship
began at the age of 15. He worked in Germany
for several years, until he and his wife
decided to follow her family to London in
the mid-1980s. After brief stints in a few other
London kitchens, he found his way to the
Marienbad. He took over as Chef in 1988, and
has been happily cooking away ever since.
“I could eat schnitzel every day,”
Chef Klaus remarked when I asked
him what his favourite dish is. e
menu features plenty of Central
European comfort fare: Besides
their famous Wiener Schnitzel, they
also oer dishes such as Hungarian
Goulash, Haluska (small noodle
dumplings), Roast Lamb, and Fresh
Sausage, all with savoury vegetable
accompaniments. With a loyal clientele
who return time and again for
Chef Klaus Campbell and Manager Jonathan
Fraser, in The Atrium with its mural of Carlsbad,
Czech Republic, home to the Marienbad Spa