Chan, exactly! I go to the pub for pub food, if I wanted something that looks like they have been messing with your food all afternoon I would go to a restaurant. The worst thing about these 'pubs' is that they are overpriced and don't really facilitate the needs of a pub. We have a pub in our village that is trying to go upmarket, as such, they have lost most of their locals and will probably end up selling the place for development. A pub is for people to get together and communicate about their lives, its not to eat overpriced food in a sterile atmosphere.
Oddy, I always expected the signature dish to come in with loads of squiggles on the plate