What happens when a chef-patron from a two-Michelin-starred London restaurant decides to run a boozer in Fulham? A deservedly popular gastropub is born! Brett Graham of The Ledbury (since 2005) is the man responsible. He began cooking at the age of 15 in his hometown of Newcastle, Australia, back in 1994. During the latter part of 2008, Graham opened the Fulham gastropub, The Harwood Arms, with TV chef Mike Robinson and publican Edwin Vaux. Two years later, it won a Michelin star. What I love about The Harwood Arms is that despite its shiny Michelin status, it has a down-to-earth, good-ol’ boozer feel. Yes, it has draft on tap, wooden floors, and matching tables and chairs that wouldn’t look out of place in your local pub. Granted, it’s a bit more polished than your typical spit-and-sawdust pub, but the food itself isn’t innovative or overly complex and it doesn’t need to be. After all, less is more in a pub, right? I went on a Friday evening with a friend to catch up. Little did he know that I had recommended this place to a mutual long-time friend, who had booked an hour earlier to celebrate his partner’s birthday (he was unaware of my booking, too). Neither of them knew the other would be there, and the look on their faces when they crossed paths was hilarious! Even today, they think it was a bat-sh@t crazy coincidence.
The menu is a no-nonsense easy to follow affair. The motto ‘less is more’ is virtuous here.
I’m a sucker for good bread and this home-made Irish soda variant from their bar-snack menu hits the spot. (£2.50). It’s malty with layers molasses flavour – combine it with that creamy butter and crunchy sea salt and you’ll be in bread heaven.
Coursodon Saint Joseph (£65) It’s brilliant juice with a wee kick of tannins. So good that we guzzled three bottles.
Harwood Arms Scotch Egg (£4.5). Knife and fork contact produces a reassuring crunch as you cut into this delightful scotch egg; the crisp and perfectly browned exterior holds beautifully seasoned venison. The meat itself is quite lean but is a purveyor of flavour and look at the seduction yolk! A pub is not complete unless it has a good scotch egg and it’s safe to say this one falls into that category.
Wye Valley asparagus with Cornish crab, with watercress and pressed egg. Sweet, sweet dressed crab had the textural crisp from the bread and balance came from earthy greens.
Berkshire wood pigeon faggots with carrots cooked in bone marrow with crispy shallots. Breaking into the ‘caul fat’ the faggots were wrapped in was challenging and I can only describe it has chewing cling film! If you can get beyond that the meat inside was delicious. Porky parts I’m sure from the belly, shoulder and some bacon chucked in for good measure. (That’s what I taste). In case you’re wondering, the caul fat is the omentum membrane from the pig’s abdomen. Lovely.
Onto the mains and first in is the loin of Tamworth pork with bacon marmalade, cider pickled cabbage and apple. The pork was rich, moist and strangely springy in texture. Acidity balance came from the cabbage and apple. Umami, spice & sweetness was the bacon jam’s job, which it had the shoulders for. Don’t get me started on how crispy the crackling was! Overall, a joy to eat but what really made my taste buds dance was the bacon jam – so good that the recipe request was sent to the kitchen!
Roast rump of Herdwick lamb, with white sprouting broccoli, goat’s curd and sunflower seeds. The lamb imparted wonderful sweet meaty flavour without the strong gamey taste it’s known for. I loved the tender broccoli too which were satisfying to eat. This plate of food got me swooning.
Token mash shot!
Yorkshire rhubarb soufflé with marmalade ice cream. Fluffy, a rumour of egg and mild tartness layered in from the rhubarb. Very classy cooking.
The verdict;
The damage: Expect to pay £35.50 for 2 courses or £42.50 for 3 courses excluding drinks
The good: I’m still thinking about when I’m going to dine here again, dreaming continuously about that flawless venison scotch egg, how supremely tender that roast rump of Herdwick lamb was, but let’s not forget that intensely satisfying bacon jam either! When an experience becomes this evocative, time beckons for you to return. (For me at least anyway!).
The bad: Pub or not, you wouldn’t expect Michelin level service to be boggle-eye clueless as to what’s in the dishes or how they were cooked. I reckon our waitress got some laps in from all the trips to the kitchen to grab the answers to my inquisitiveness. You can’t have it all I guess, perhaps it was a minor quibble in the grand scheme of things.
Rating: 4/5
Would I go again? I have, those posts will come soon.
Address: Walham Grove, London SW6 1QJ
Web: http://www.harwoodarms.com
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