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Taking up residency in a building previously occupied by Café Rouge, halfway between Hammersmith and Shepherd’s Bush, Mustard has ambitions to be a British-style Côte.
Early signs indicate they’ve got a lot of work to do. The quality of food from an evening menu, broken into sections like ‘The Allotment’ and ‘Coastal Waters’, had more than one duff note. Spring lamb hot-pot was a pretty and colourful plate of food, but was so bland that it tasted like just one hue: beige. Equally disappointing was a sirloin that hadn’t been left to rest for long enough before serving, resulting in a watery plate of food. Starters and desserts were adequate.
All of the above is a shame, because it looks the part: a smart exterior greets customers, while the interior creates a convincing high-street brasserie look and feel. Service is a little unsure of itself at times, but that’s forgiveable.
Mustard may have designs on rolling out a good quality, affordable chain, but there’s plenty of work to do here first.