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Please note, The Lockhart has now closed. Time Out Eating & Drinking editors, August 2016.
The Lockhart got off to a shaky start, but this changed towards the end of 2013 with the arrival of a new chef, Brad McDonald, and whole new menu. McDonald hails from Mississippi via Brooklyn, and while his cooking has all the knowing contemporary class of a hip NYC bistro, it's firmly rooted in the sweetness, spice and smoke of the Deep South. We particularly enjoyed the shrimp and grits, which had an umami savouriness to the mushroom, bacon and prawn ‘soup’ poured over the polenta-like cheesy grits. Southern-fried chicken was crisp and dry, the chicken meat unusually flavoursome, seeing it far apart from fast food chain fodder. Served with fried green peppers and a lush coleslaw, this was a dish not for paupers, but fit for kings – or even The King (as Elvis was born in Mississippi). The two floors are both light and bright, done out in reclaimed wooden furniture with mismatched vintage crockery and fresh flowers – a pleasing, easy-going space for soul food.