The Harwood Arms
The Harwood Arms is something of a wolf in sheep’s clothing. The only Michelin-starred gastropub in London, there’s no denying that the food excels. But, is it really a gastropub? Sure, it’s called The Harwood Arms, and the exterior certainly looks that of a pub. Inside, though, the feel is that of a restaurant. There is no homeliness, no clinking of glasses as punters enjoy a beer on a quiet Saturday afternoon. Instead, there are amply spaced, set tables. There is a Maitre D’ at hand to greet guests. Slapping some pub-like décor on the outside of a restaurant and calling it something like ‘The Lamb & Pickle’ or ‘The Slap & Tickle’ (two nouns, as unrelated as possible and connected by a conjunctive, is really a must) does not a pub make. This is all to say that, while I was looking for a good gastropub experience and had set my expectations accordingly, I had to immediately readjust as soon as I realised that The Harwood Arms is a restaurant masquerading as a pub. To treat it as anything less than a restaurant visit would be a disservice to actual pubs.
The Harwood Arms is situated on one of the many backroads in Fulham, with very little fanfare. Offering a three course menu at a decent price (for restaurants anyway – not for gastropubs), it sports a truncated range of draught beers alongside a more extensive wine list, and snacks that include Scotch Eggs (vegetarian as well as venison) and Beef Tongue on Dripping Toast. I abstained from the snacks, and got straight on with the three course menu.
For starters I had the Berkswell Cheese Tart, with Celeriac, Thyme and a Mushroom Mustard. The Tart was light and fluffy, with the mustard accentuating the softer flavours of the tart with a real umami hit. It was a good start to the meal, though I would have appreciated the tart being a little warmer, as it was rather cool to the touch.
For the main course, I had the Cornish Monkfish Tail with Shiitake Mushrooms and Pumpkin, served with Garlic Potatoes. The Monkfish was exquisite, cooked and seasoned to perfection. The Shiitake Mushrooms were soft and extremely flavoursome. The Pumpkin was rich in flavour, but ever so slightly undercooked. The Garlic Potatoes were an effective side, although the garlic didn’t really carry through. Overall, a good – but not great – main course.
Finally, I had the Malted Treacle Slice with Stout and Crème Fraiche Ice Cream for dessert. The richness of the treacle worked well with the refreshing aspect of the crème fraiche ice cream, though the flavours at work didn’t really blow me away. I would have preferred an exceptional rendition of a Sticky Toffee Pudding, rather than this, that felt burdened by the weight of its own attempted invention.
Overall, the outing was a good one, and if this were an actual pub I would have been very happy with the food served. However, the experience is really a restaurant one, and for that there are much better to be found in this vibrant city.
Value for Money? £55 for three courses. Nothing blew me away or even really impressed me, so I would say no.
Would I return? No. I would either a) go to a restaurant where I would be served more interesting food for a similar price, of which there are many, or b) have a great meal for less at an actual gastropub, with the atmosphere that one would expect from such a visit.
