The Gossiping Gourmet:

Built by the wife of a Scottish nobleman in 1936, Five Crowns was modeled after a 12th-century English country house. Originally called the Hurley Bell, it was run as a bed-and-breakfast and catered to the Hollywood elite. Couples like Rita Hayworth and Howard Hughes, and Bogie and Bacall used it as a hideaway. In 1965, it was taken over by the founders of Lawry’s The Prime Rib, who maintained its country charm and opened a formal restaurant specializing in prime rib, served dramatically from a cart.

Once again, this venerable old dame has undergone a partial transformation, in response to the tsunami that has swamped the restaurant industry, demanding more casual dining, small plates and smaller prices. Emerging from the old bar and private dining room area is SideDoor, an English-style gastro pub. This is a giant leap up from standard pub grub. Nowadays, many of London’s best restaurants are gastro pubs. These are authentic old establishments that have reinvented their menus, and that is exactly what’s happened here.

Entering through the side door on Poppy Avenue, you step back in time to wide-planked floors, beamed ceilings, heavy oaken tables and two welcoming fireplaces. This casual venue does not take reservations, so you might find yourself, as we did, sitting on a high-backed bench beside a roaring fire on a rainy night, eating at a low wooden table, or sitting on tall chairs or bar stools, in conventional booths or, if you’re really lucky, in big, comfy, upholstered armchairs.

The menu changes nightly. A few items are regulars, such as fish and chips, avocado mash or stuffed prunes with feta cheese and picante prosciutto. The bar also has a kind of tasting menu. You can get samplers of any their draft beers. They also have an interesting menu of bottled beers from small breweries. Wine can be ordered from three pre-set flights, or by the glass in two- or six-ounce pours as well as by the bottle.

The charcuterie bar features six selections, ranging from Emiglia Romagna prosciutto to Oakland sopressata, and 11 cheeses from Wisconsin goat cheddar to English Shropshire blue.

The charcuterie chef also makes the avocado mash to order. This is a lightly lemony, slightly smashed, perfectly ripe avocado served with thin, crispy, sesame pita chips dotted with black sesame seeds. Using excellent avocados and mashing them to order makes this a simple but exceptionally delicious and generous starter.

Dishes come out when they are ready, so if you want them in a particular sequence, order them a few at a time.

The duck-liver pate was very cold and topped with duck fat. The first bite was a bit “livery� and greasy, so we let it sit by the fire to get warm. Once it was at room temperature, the flavors bloomed and we smeared it on a thin slice of buttery, toasted baguette. Complementing it was an arugula salad with pickled onions and tangerines in a lovely vinaigrette, which provided a peppery, piquant and fruity contrast.

Fish and chips can be ordered in a one- or two-piece portion. The fish itself was nothing special, but the malt vinegar batter was exceptional — light, crisp and surprisingly not greasy — and the tartar sauce was very tasty. But it was the fries that were the real mind-blower. They were the best we’ve had in recent memory, and we finished every one. Besides being perfectly cooked from whole fresh potatoes, they had a wonderful, deep potato flavor that for some reason seems a rarity.

Less interesting were the pork croquetas. Although nicely fried in a crunchy crust, the long-cooked shredded pork filling was a one-note wonder, needing another layer of flavor as well as texture. The accompanying white bean ragout was just too salty.

Their warm figgy pudding is a variation on the classic English dessert — sticky toffee pudding. This dessert is lighter than the original, which is loaded with butter, and instead of the traditional toffee sauce, it is served here with whiskey sauce, emphasis on the whiskey. We found this modern version quite irresistible.

The casual, warm and friendly atmosphere, combined with a tapas-like small plate menu, gives you lots of options for a very pleasant experience ... a drink and a snack, a light supper or a full meal, while sampling interesting beers, flights of wine and a check that won’t break the bank.

SideDoor at Five Crowns

Where: 3801 E. Coast Hwy., Corona Del Mar

When: 4:30 to 10:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 4:30 to 11:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Sunday; bar opens at 10 a.m.; regular menu starts at 3:30 p.m.

Prices: Bites $4 to $6; small plates and sandwiches $5 to $12; desserts $4 to $7

Wine: Bottles $31 to $130; by the glass $3 to $8 for two ounces, $8 to $22 for six ounces; corkage fee $20; beer capping fee $5

Info: (949) 717-4322 or www.sidedoorcdm.com

ELLE HARROW and TERRY MARKOWITZ owned A La Carte for 20 years and can be reached at [email protected].