Restaurants

By Jenni Muir

Something’s missing here, now what can it be? Chesterfield sofas – check. Bright floral wallpaper – yup. Chandeliers – present and correct. Got the modish decked terrace, the notable chef, the pork cheeks on the menu. Indeedy do. Gotta have velvet in a gastropub makeover…. Yes, there’s plenty of velvet, there’s even a DJ and a table of newspapers. What about the drinks? Plenty of shaky-shaky cocktails, a whole list of martinis, wines from Alsace to Argentina, cappuccino. And the beer? Hmmm.

No beer. Or, to be more precise, no real ales. Not one. Nil. Even the ponciest, wood-pigeon serving, actually-we’re-a-restaurant gastropubs in West London manage at least one hand-pumped bitter, but when we asked what was available we were offered bottles of Newkie Brown –as if that goes down well with all the middle class Crouch Enders who drank too much of it as students. The press release suggested Meantime Organic Pilsner and Old Speckled Hen would also be available – in bottles – but when we asked, they weren’t there. There was Guinness Extra Cold, 1664, Fosters plus a few others on tap to cry into, but while the pair of blokes sitting at the bar seemed like us bemused, the skulk of shiny mums who’d cut their apron strings for the night certainly didn’t care.

And while it’s at the ladies that this new gastropub seems to be targeted, the food from chef Richard Teague (formerly of Market in Camden) won’t disappoint any chaps who want to tag along. Aberdeen Angus onglet steak, slow-roast belly pork and fish pie feature on the opening menu, wisely supplemented on our visit by an 8oz cheeseburger that should help quell any nerves about more on-trend dishes like braised rabbit with pappardelle, tomato and herbs.

Nice to see tarragon rather than the more predictable basil or chilli tossed with crab, tomato and linguine on the starters list. The butter sauce that held it all together was slightly too generous, the crab slightly sparse, and we crunched into a few bits of shell, but otherwise the dish was lush. The perfect under-doneness of the slick and springy spring greens accompanying the fish pie showed true class, as did the pie itself with its soothing mix of cream sauce, smoked haddock, sparkling prawns and peas. Chocolate fondant had plenty of molten centre and though the ice cream accompanying it was good, a more interesting flavour than vanilla would have been welcome.

Staff were friendly, sweet and mostly on the ball, despite plenty of customers and distractions. On the whole we’d like to go back – not least to try the new season English asparagus with deep-fried poached egg – but the beer thing, well, it’s left us feeling a bit bitter.

Time Out May 2009