You’re not stuck for pubs in picturesque Salisbury, but nevertheless, The Dog and Gun more than holds its own. It’s part of the Chickpea Group, a game-changing hospitality collective in the South West which takes over historic buildings (in this case, a 17th-century coaching inn), stamping them with a signature brand of cool. Trendy interiors, crowd-pleasing cocktails and gastro pizzas are all part of the concept, so you’re onto a winner before you step through the door.
Even on a Wednesday night in January, the place is packed and the clientele are enjoying themselves. There’s large groups of friends, families, work nights out and dates - it seems nobody got the Dry January memo. Complementary to this, rustic, rich-toned interiors with wooden bistro chairs, patterned upholstery and plenty of candlelight mean there’s no shortage of ambience.
To start, we sampled an almond and raspberry sour which was perfectly pitched - a really delicious seasonal cocktail, with a tart finish that cuts through the marzipan sweetness. The menu follows a typical three course format with snacky starters like Padron peppers sprinkled with chilli salt which are charred and addictive, as well as a creamy La Latteria burrata sitting atop vibrant pumpkin seed pesto and chunky roasted squash.
The Dog & Gun does a good trade in hand-stretched, sourdough pizzas from Neapolitan independent Nole, who have a partnership with Chickpea, but we opted for a juicy chicken Saltimbocca instead, served with Trealy Farm Hog’s pudding, mash, and buckets of white wine cream sauce. The resulting dish was tasty, but did get a little soupy. The rest of the menu offers ‘pub bangers’ like beer-battered fish and chips and handmade shortcrust pies - plenty to get stuck into.
Finally, you can’t go wrong with an affogato - the pub makes an excellent espresso, which we happily pour over vanilla ice cream from Somerset supplier Brickell’s. With solid, dependable pub cooking and loads of atmosphere, The Dog and Gun is a great place to stop for a pub or a bite to eat whilst you’re exploring the many hiking trails around Salisbury.