A gastropub in Notting Hill Gate wouldn’t usually make it on to our ‘To Do’ list. You can find tarted-up boozers dishing up ‘Brit classics’ all over London now and with the exception of a few stunners, they’re all much the same. The Mall Tavern, however, sounded promising. It’s a new project for the Perritt brothers who own The Regent, Kensal Green, and The Stag in Belsize Park. The latter boasts one of North London’s best beer gardens and the food we’ve had there – excluding one questionable Sunday roast – was rather good.
At the new place, they’ve drafted in rising star Jesse Dunford Wood, whose CV includes stints at Kensington Place, Balthazar (NYC) and, more recently, Hix Soho. We arrived for a mid-week visit to find him working front of house in a panama hat, dishing out drinks and bar snacks to well-heeled locals. With every seat taken and most tables groaning with grub, we propped up the bar and crunched our way through a pint of parsnip crisps. There’s plenty of choice on the drinks front, from cask ales to wines, whiskies and a handful of cocktails. The Earl Grey fizz wasn't a great choice, the lemon zest overpowering both the Champagne and the delicate tea syrup, but a classic Dark ‘n’ Stormy (at just £7) was much better.
The interior has been ripped straight from The Big Book of Gastropubs - earthy green walls, fringed lamps, leather banquettes and a handsome wooden bar dividing the room into two cosy drinking and dining areas. There are eccentric touches like the Prince Charles & Di china, quirky portraits painted by Jesse’s dad, and glass cases full of culinary oddities that might otherwise be cluttering up his home. (Crème brulee iron, anyone?) Out back, there’s a small but sunny garden and upstairs there’s a surprisingly smart private room (complete with its own jukebox) where you can host roast chicken and suckling pig parties. There’s even a rustic ‘chef’s table’ in the kitchen - all bases covered for foodie functions, then.
The menu is, of course, British. Don’t panic, there’s not a Scotch egg in sight – just decent bar snacks like pork crackling, lamb scrumpets, pâté and cauliflower fritters. The reassuringly short list of mains leans towards retro classics like chicken kiev, cow pie, and mac ‘n’ cheese. Pork belly came with creamy colcannon and more of that excellent crackling while my fish fingers – flaky white fish in a crisp, well-seasoned crumb – sat on top of delicious pea puree. A generous pot of tartare sauce was, I think, homemade and well balanced but with a zingy kick. We polished off a basket of freshly baked soda bread, which got a grunt of approval from my Northern Irish companion, and we also shared some chips that sadly weren’t. If you cut a potato into four pieces and leave the skin on, that’s a wedge my friend. These rarely manage to cook all the way through to the desired level of carbo-fluffiness so we left them unfinished.
After two good puds (a rich chocolate fondant and a fruity cheesecake pot), we waddled out into the night. The place was still as busy as it had been when we arrived and the locals seemed happy with the newcomer. This isn’t destination dining, but it is a welcome addition to an area crying out for a decent pub. The staff are clued-up, the bar is well-stocked and the menu’s full of childhood favourites that taste better than you remember. If you’re local or you’d like to be, pop in for dinner or get a group together for a porky blow-out upstairs. Just don’t fight over the crackling.
(Apologies for the lack of food photos - our camera was rendered useless by The Mall Tavern's atmospheric lighting. For pics, check out Gourmet Traveller's review here.)
