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It seems we still can’t get enough of down-home American food. And now west London locals can share the love at Limeyard, where the dietary dream is on offer from 8am. Start with a breakfast of buttermilk pancakes or waffles. Move on to fried chicken and mom’s-own apple pie. The menu changes as the hours tick by, cooking up substantial burgers and barbecues alongside international choices such as fried squid with ponzu dressing. If the artery-blocking puds are too heavyweight, then smoothies and juices promise to lighten the load.
Backed by Richard Caring, the billionaire who owns Jackson + Rye, Grillshack, The Ivy, Le Caprice, Soho House and a raft of other top-end and mass market restaurants, this spot looks like a pilot for the rollout of an upmarket chain. Steel ducting, distressed fittings and paraphernalia from the 1950s are a tad too theme-ish, but it’s done well.
The food is good in parts too. A shaved raw vegetable salad sounded pious, but the finely sliced wisps of candy-striped beetroot and different types of radish made an attractive spread, scattered with crunchy toasted seeds, and drizzled with a fabulous wholegrain mustard and honey dressing.
Other dishes from our evening visit weren’t as impressive. The barbecued chicken lacked punch, and we weren’t convinced by our bland-tasting sirloin steak. However, a marvellously intense chimichurri sauce, redolent with chopped parsley and spiked with garlic and vinegar, went some way to compensate for the chewy meat.
Despite occasional culinary disappointments, the service is on the ball, and it’s a popular venue with families, office workers and youngsters.