The Establishment

up_shiraz

Stickin' it to the Man 26th October 2008

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Just had my second very good experience at The Establishment. The event was a reunion dinner for a visiting winemaker friend and the very friendly manager, Owen, allowed us to bring a couple of special bottles of wine with us. On top of that, the restaurant has an excellent wine list, stretching from the house wine level around £20 up to a Vogue Bonnes Mares 2003 at £295.

But enough of that...on to the food. After a few drinks in the snazzy swivel armchairs in the bar, we moved to the table and pored over the very attractive looking menu. Starters ranged from the very dependable pumpkin risotto, to purple sprouting brocolli with a duck egg and hollandaise, to a caulifower soup with prawn toasts. The brocolli and gorgeous runny duck egg were washed down very nicely with some Godello from Valdeorra and an seriously smelly white Priorat (which got better as the meal went on).

As the corks got pulled on the reds, we tucked in to a range of juicy main courses. Mine was an absolute winner - braised Galloway short rib with some very chef-y puree and mushrooms. A big, sticky hunk of meat that just collapsed onder a fork. Great flavour, perfect with some of the rich Spanish reds we were drinking. Others had Herdwick mutton wellington, a variation on their lamb wellington. They use seasonal ingredients of top provenance so top quality mutton replaced the lamb on the menu. There was also gurnard and skate for fish lovers. The rump steak option wasn't amazing and highlights that you can get unlucky with your menu choices. With even greater consistency this would be a 5 star affair so we'll see what happens next time.

Cheese boards finished it all off though I don't quite remember what exactly was on those boards. And the bill was very reasonable. It was so pleasing in fact, that we felt like carrying on at the Sloaney Pony around the corner. Bad decision! But I can't really blame Owen or The Establishment for that...

Niamheen at 27/10/08

Sounds great! The duck egg and the short ribs are calling to me. Definitely adding to my "want to go" list!

chrisp at 29/10/08

You were there last week, Niamh! After the Kitchen, remember? Although admittedly only for drinks.

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chrisp

Miracle in Parson's Green 12th August 2008

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Parson's Green is a lovely villagey little part of South West London which is largely ignored by the rest of the capital, due presumably to the fact it's on the District Line, and as any Londoner knows 'travelling on the District Line' is second only to 'standing on the left of a moving escalator' in Things You Do Not Do. But after a painfully slow and uncomfortable journey from work last night I was rewarded with an unexpectedly delightful meal in The Establishment, a groovy new gastropub just opposite the tube station.

As often happens in those anticipatory moments before the food arrives, I found myself searching for clues to the standard of the evening ahead in other areas. The bar menu is lovingly crafted and contains a number of interesting sounding house specialities along with the tried and tested classics. My Martini was served in an ice-cold glass, the rim rubbed with lemon rind and with just a hint of Noilly Prat - as good an example as you're going to find outside of the top hotels, in fact; clearly someone behind the bar knows exactly what they're doing. Service, it almost goes without saying, was great and although hardly rushed off their feet on a relatively quiet Tuesday evening the staff were welcoming and eager to please. I should also give a mention to the impressive décor, which was incredibly tasteful 70s beige and bold wooden detailing. So far, so very very good.

And the food, thank the gods themselves, lived up to my expectations and then some. Starter of pig's trotter fritters with homemade gribiche was even better than that served at the Prince of Wales in Putney. Bursting with flavour and containing a delightful series of textures, the crispy delicate exterior broke on the bite to ooze meat juices and delicious fatty chunks of trotter. I broke into a giddy smile as the pork dribbled down my chin. Brilliant stuff.

Next was more beautiful pork - a crispy chunk of crackling sat on top of a sweet chunk of cheek and a flat roll of bacon-style belly. Alongside, a gorgeous moist slab of more belly, and a scattering of buttery glazed carrots set in creamy white polenta provided vegetable accompaniment. This is the pork dish that so-called pork expert Tom Ilic couldn't pull off in his restaurant in Battersea, but here it was done superbly and with each element cooked to a very high standard.

Maybe - and I have to put in some sort of disclaimer in case you go around thinking The Establishment is the restaurant equivalent of the second coming of Christ - maybe I was very very lucky with my choices, because a companion's fishcake (from the cheaper bar menu) was only good, not as heart-stoppingly brilliant as my two courses. And we didn't try the desserts either, so maybe they contain rusty razor blades or are laced with arsenic. I mean, there must be some reason why this place isn't packed to the rafters all day every day.

So as you will have gathered by now, I can wholeheartedly recommend the Establishment to anyone willing to brave the District Line and head out to Parson's Green. And for food of this standard, that should be all of you.

TheTallChap

Well established 20th December 2007

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We visited on the Sunday of the opening week, when the roasts had been so popular, they'd all gone by the time of our late booking.

Being left with the bar menu turned out not to be a bad thing, though. I loved the combination of hot and cold smoked trout in the pate and the beef & foie gras burger was delicious: served at the rare end of medium rare was spot on for my other half. The batter on my plaice was very light and crispy, with the fish cooked correctly. As they should be, the chips were crispy on the outside and fluffy within. Really liked the mustardy home-made mayo, too. Good panna cotta, with great lemon shortbread.

I look forward to trying out more from their modern British menu.

We didn't drink much but the wine list is pretty extensive and user-friendly, broken down according to style of wine,rather than just the usual region and grape. The cocktails look creative, they have some interesting beers and there are just so many spirits, including an unrivalled selection of gins and genevers.

The ‘Ford Cortina Ghia’ banquette seating, glamorous glass chandeliers and chocolate colour scheme all build to a retro elegance that kicks up childhood memories of classic British police dramas and 70’s gangster films.

Conveniently located bang opposite Parsons Green Tube, this smart bar and dining room is spot on for anything from a quiet drink or meal to a full-on night out.

sue at 27/12/07

Sounds like a great addition to the area. Thanks for the review!

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