Rose

Time Out says

Tue Nov 30 1999

Hidden away in a quiet residential area of Fulham, the corner site now called The Rose has seen a few name-changes over the years, including the Legless Ladder and, most recently, the Fulham Tup.

New landlords and a fresh paint job have rendered it elegant and roomy, it has been purged of its plasma screens, and the muted walls are dotted with prints of ladies in various states of undress (more tasteful than it sounds: vintage Gauloises ads, Vettriano etc). An open fire roars, candles twinkle and locals lounge on church pews and leather sofas.

There’s a good wine list, and behind the bar there are three real ales on tap, though on our visit only Sharp’s Doom Bar was available. A pity, because the barren pumps sported badges from the esteemed Sambrooks, a small brewery just over the river in Battersea. Serious quaffers will tell you that running out of a real ale is a cardinal sin, but to run out of two is worse.

The food more than made up for this lack of ale variety. The Rose feels comfortably more like a pub with food than one of this area’s fancier gastropubs – it’s relaxed enough to provide equally for both the diner and the casual drinker. So although service was perfectly friendly and proficient, you order food at the bar.

And the regularly changing menu didn’t feel the need to prefix every ingredient with a nearby county, as can be the case. A starter of ham hock terrine (£6.50) came with an anise-spiced apple chutney and cornichons, and was pinkly tender and flavoursome.

Another of gin-cured gravadlax (£7) didn’t show much evidence of the spirit cure, but had been made with good-quality fish perked up by the addition of peppery mizuna micro-leaves. Beef bourguignon with mash and greens (£10) promised everything required of a dish on a bitter winter’s night, and didn’t disappoint.

And corn-fed chicken breast with braised lentils, bacon and greens (£12) was similarly satisfying – uncomplicated, tasty, well-cooked pub food. The only sticking point were the greens – all purple sprouting broccoli.

Desserts were similarly comforting and unpretentious – ginger pudding with toffee sauce, or a selection of three British cheeses. There’s a pretty enclosed garden out the back too, which should prove popular when warmer weather arrives.