I don't think there's any supposition that you're gonna eat if you order a drink in the front or side bar - the opposite i imagine, seeing as if you were eating you'd go and sit in the eating section. I have to admit that the times I've eaten at the Dartmouth (about four or five) I've found the food very underwhelming for what you pay. But I do think that the tinkering they've done has tweaked a great-shaped pub without ruining it. It's a shame they lost the Dartmouth Arms board in the front bar in that respect, and since they've lost the big sofa in the front, the new furniture arrangement doesn't really sit right, but I still think they've done broadly good And I'm honestly not a big fan of tarted up bars - my favourite pubs in london are the ones that have retained as much of their original features as possible. I love the Blythe Hill Tavern, too, for example.