Heaven for Foodies is Right Here in Hammersmith
Liz Vercoe is happy she stayed put to sample The Stonemasons Arms' Journey menu
Calling all foodies. Yes you. Look over here!
You know who you are. Your eyes light up at a perfectly presented platter of delicious bites. You stop in mid-sentence to dwell on your tongue being surprised by a new taste and texture. You remember weeks later some new combination of flavours with surprising appeal and tell friends about it with the same enthusiasm as if it was a first ever-view of the Grand Canyon. Eating, to you, can be a multisensory experience. The sort of thing you'd normally travel considerable distances to enjoy.
Well how about sticking to Hammersmith? If your bank balance is feeling reasonably robust, head over to Cambridge Grove and the Stonemasons Arms on the first Saturday of each month.
That's the date prize-winning chef Gavin Sinden is given his head to offer diners a five-course "Journey Menu" of his choice accompanied by a "flight" of careful wine pairings. And if Mr Sinden's head isn't exactly in the clouds it's certainly in a thought bubble that's way above the usual gastro-pub offerings.
He's part of the new team that took over this Fuller's pub about six months ago with a clear intention of creating a talked-about destination for food and drinks. And while the standard lunch and dinner menus offer high-quality classics of fish, meat and vegetarian dishes, with an emphasis on sourcing the best ingredients, it's the Saturday night event that beckons like a fabulous siren to a smitten sailor.
Poor you. You probably missed the first Saturday in April. Especially as the centralised Fullers' website has tended to lag behind this dynamic team's ideas. February’s menu was still up when I looked. So let me share...
The Stonemasons Arms is an easy walk from the Lyric Theatre and a perfectly possible stroll from The Hammersmith Apollo. Parking after 6.30pm is a cinch although, with a full wine flight inside you, the buses of King Street and the taxis and tube at Hammersmith Broadway would be more legal ways to travel! While the decor won't blow you away, it's an attractive L-shaped Victorian room with a modern bar area adjacent to a classic restaurant of about 50 covers and with some interesting art on the walls.
After a little confusion by a new member of the waiting staff about what the meal comprised, we established that the little Kilner jar containing sheets of white bubbly crisp accompanied by a creamy cheese dip stabbed with shiny, dark-green wafers, was in fact an unheralded amuse bouche to share, rather than the first course which was billed simply as "confit yolk, onion" so didn't really give as a steer. So far, so pretty, and interesting.
It turned out the white bubbles had once been related to pork crackling and the green sheets were broccoli given a Japanese twist and presumably a steam rollering. Thus the scene was set for a meal full of exciting surprises.
A course labelled simply "mackerel, avocado, cucumber" in fact had seven distinct but complementary elements, each lovingly prepared. And was probably my favourite. Sometimes an ingredient would disappear in your mouth leaving only flavour, another that looked cooked turned out to be frozen, in the middle of soft came crunch. We enjoyed the most tender, flavoursome pink steak served with a crisply coated ball of ground beef blade and mouthfuls of artichoke, and a dessert that makes banoffee pie seem like something you make in a cement mixer.
"Is it plastic?" asked my companion gingerly tapping a shiny yellow dome of the palate-cleansing course. No, it was transluscently slivered pineapple wrapping a lemon posset like fruity ravioli.
The five-glass wine flight, costing £25, proved to be well chosen, good value and added to the fun of the meal. It comprised a perfectly pitched pink Cava, a glass of fruity Sancerre (£35 a bottle on the wine list), an earthy Italian red (£28 a bottle), a dessert wine Sauterne, and finally an espresso martini containing vanilla vodka, Kalhua and coffee (priced at £9 on the cocktail menu). Alternatively a bottle of house wine such as a Pays d'Oc is £16.50.
We went on a quiet evening, as many local people were still away for the Easter holidays, so the restaurant lacked a real buzz. While this was made up for by personal attention, it would be wise to go as a small group of four or six to make sure you get atmosphere to accompany your appetite and to make this a special occasion if that's what you are after.
We were also able to take our time. Although the dishes are suitably sized so you look forward to the next, it would be a shame to expect to clatter through these courses before going on somewhere else.
With the five courses of the Journey menu priced at £40 and the wine flight £25, this is a £130 meal for two (service is discretionary) but would cost far more in Central London...or Paris or Madrid. And here the journey is so much easier.
The Stonemason's Arms is at 54 Cambridge Grove, Hammersmith,W6 OLA. Reserve by calling 020 8748 1397, online or email stonemasonsarms@london-gastros.co.uk.
April 12, 2016
April 12, 2016