London

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Best Gastropub

Rosendale

WINNER
Rosendale
As soon as the butter arrives, you know you’re in for something special at this sister to Battersea’s Greyhound. Churned in-house by chef Matthew Foxon, he changes the added flavourings as fancy strikes. On the occasion of our second visit, it was coal-smoked – and utterly delicious. From an alluring menu, we were wowed by terrifically tender Barbary duck with seared foie gras. Equally impressive was garlicky lamb rump atop puréed potato; an accompanying conker-sized lamb kofta was superfluous, but we quickly forgave the show-off tendencies. Starters were also a pleasure. Smoked eel with anchovy mayonnaise was garnished with tiny, sweet cubes of apple jelly. Dessert maintained standards: three scoops of thick mousse, one of dark chocolate, one white, one toffee. Feature continues

The cavernous, echoey space (much shiny wood and leather banquettes) is divided in two: restaurant at the back, where we ate to savour the above dishes; and the bar, with its own shorter menu at the front. You get a lot more than pork scratchings on this bar menu, though, as even a simple burger on another visit was quite sublime. As we dithered over a vast wine list, our pleasant waitress suggested we consult the sommelier. The sommelier is Mark Van der Goot, who with wife Sharon co-owns this pub and the Greyhound. The very notion of a sommelier in a pub highlights the gentrification that is happening across London: the gastropub is evolving into something that is increasingly hard to distinguish from a restaurant, and be warned that beer-drinking is definitely secondary to enjoying the fruits of the vine. Still, with food of this quality, we’re not going to quibble; Rosendale is definitely still a gastropub, it just also happens to prepare damn fine meals. Be aware that the full restaurant menu isn’t served on Mondays, so you’ll have to content yourself with the simpler (but still fabulous) bar menu at the start of the week.
Rosendale, 65 Rosendale Rd, SE21 8EZ (020 8670 0812/www.therosendale.co.uk) West Norwood or West Dulwich rail.

RUNNERS-UP
Brown Dog
Charmingly small, the Brown Dog makes good use of its 150-year-old space. To the left is a cosy bar (ales include Adnams Bitter, London Pride and Harveys Sussex). To the right is a modestly proportioned dining area. A main of boneless quail was one of the best gastropub dishes we’ve had: juicy meat, perfect crisp skin, served in a complex sauce stirred with peas and pancetta. But our vegetarian companion was not so lucky: he had only one choice of main (a rather lifeless feuilleté atop mushrooms and spinach) and not a single choice of starter. The good-natured waitress did her best to minimise the gloom and dessert of toffee pud (sticky, dense, excellent) returned smiles to our faces.
Brown Dog, 8 Cross St, SW13 0AP (020 8392 2200) Barnes rail.

The Narrow
Professional food, professional service: The Narrow is Gordon Ramsay to a T. In a show of commitment to the boozer origins of this riverside site, more than half the ground-floor space is still dedicated to drinkers. Table tops are sleek and stools are shiny, but there are six real ales, benches outside with fine river views, and a bar menu that lists proper pub snacks such as Scotch eggs. The dining room is a smaller, sky-lit space. It’s the small number of tables, as much as the allure of brand Ramsay, that makes the Narrow so hard to get in to; even booking weeks ahead, we had to settle for a Monday lunchtime. Starters of gently spiced potted shrimp and pork pie were both classic dishes, reworked with first-rate ingredients. A main of pig’s cheek in meaty jus, served generously with mashed swede, was terrific value at £10. Battered haddock and chips featured a zingy tartare sauce, and, on a previous visit, baked egg custard with shortbread was faultless.
The Narrow, 44 Narrow St, E14 8DP (020 7592 7950) Limehouse DLR.

Roebuck
The Roebuck in Chiswick is bright and family-friendly. It’s deceptively large, stretching back from a front bar to a big, well-lit dining room and a paved garden beyond. A starter of cured Orkney salmon was almost sashimi-like in texture and freshness; it was set off by a sharp dill vinaigrette. Ham and rabbit terrine was just right, the flavour of the meats distinctive yet complementary. A main of three Cumberland sausages with creamy mash and gravy was as good as that dish gets. Strawberry and almond cake for pud came recommended by a bubbly Antipodean waitress; paired with hazelnut ice-cream, it was superb. Wines are grouped by style, with more than a dozen by the glass. Changing real ales (Mauldons Suffolk Pride, Caledonian Top Banana and Adnams Regatta on our visit) are listed alongside the food, with tasting notes – an excellent touch.
Roebuck, 122 Chiswick High Rd, W4 1PU (020 8995 4392) Stamford Brook or Turnham Green tube.

Waterfront
Part of Young’s expanding portfolio of spanking new riverside gastropubs (there are others in Chelsea and Vauxhall), this huge, multi-levelled room is decorated in a mishmash of modern styles. It looks more bar than gastropub: floor-to-ceiling windows, chandeliers, centrepiece leather booths, and tables of different shapes. Numerous outdoor benches overlook an unlovely stretch of the Thames, nice in summer nonetheless. Starters were above average: an interesting terrine made with aubergines and puréed tomato, and high-quality gravadlax. A caesar salad with grilled chicken was fresh-tasting and generously portioned; we had no complaints. Young’s beers and wines are of the usual excellent class. Staff in sleek black shirts were charming. It’s hard to imagine anyone travelling far to come here – this corner of SW18 has all the character of a supermarket car park – but for residents of the new Battersea Reach development in which it’s housed, the Waterfront will be a wonderful boon.
Waterfront, Baltimore House (Battersea Reach), York Rd, SW18 1TZ (020 7228 4297/www.waterfrontlondon.co.uk) Wandsworth Town rail or C3, 39, 295 bus.

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