Hereford Road has been on my list for yonks! If there’s one place that is at the top of my “must go list” it’s St. John. So with the former head chef of St. John helming Hereford Road it immediately piqued my interest. But for a suburban panda there was rarely a chance for me to venture off to Notting Hill Gate but I’ve always been tempted by their set lunch deal. However, instead, we decided to make the journey on a quiet Tuesday night where the relaxed but comfortable setting and friendly wait staff made Hereford Road seem more neighbourly and local than Zone 1.

We shared two starters, one of which was a whole Roast Quail and Radishes. Like with all of Hereford Road’s dishes this was non-fussy and honest to the ingredients’ flavours. The quail was cooked perfectly tender, the juices adding flavour to the salad but was a tad oily itself.

In contrast to the heavy quail starter we ordered the Smoked Trout, Potato and Horseradish, a simple and fresh dish that worked well, the salad also tasted good.

For the mains we unintentionally ordered another bird this time the Guinea Fowl, lentils and wild garlic. The skin was cooked beautifully crisp but the lentils were a little over-seasoned considering the strong taste of wild garlic. An extra, light, accompaniment could have added a little more interest to this dish with all those strong flavours.

The Hampshire Pork Belly, swede and kale also had a very crisp skin, just the way I like it! Though it was a little oily. The swede mash could also have made a bigger impact with such a big piece of meat taking centre stage.

To finish off we had the Brown Bread Ice Cream. I’ve not come across this before and found the textures interesting with little pieces of slightly chewy breadcrumbs amidst the vanilla ice cream but flavour wise it was not as exciting as hoped.

Overall Hereford Road produce well made, honest British cuisine in a beautiful but relaxed setting. Prices are also relatively affordable for what you get. The cooking of meats are the highlights with generous portions though they are a bit meat heavy. If you are looking for quality British cuisine in a more relaxed setting Hereford Road is your bet.

Address: 3 Hereford Road, London, W2 4AB

Telephone: 0207 727 1144

Mind The Gap

Mon – Sat: 12pm – 3pm . 6pm – 10.30pm

Sun: 12pm – 4pm . 6pm – 10pm

herefordroad.org

/10

Panda ate, shot and left.