What can you tell us about The Malt House?
The Malt House is the second gastropub venture by Claude Bosi and his brother Cedric. Their first was the Fox and Grapes in Wimbledon, which opened in 2011. Previously a popular pre-match drinking venue for Chelsea fans, The Malt House has been given a complete revamp by the Bosi brothers, turning it from local boozer, to serious neighbourhood restaurant.
The smart interior features white and pale green walls, beautiful wooden floors, old fireplaces and a long zinc-covered bar. Upstairs, they've even added six guest rooms, designed to the same excellent standard as the dining room. Kitchen operations are headed up by Marcus McGuiness, former head chef of Claude Bosi’s two-starred Hibiscus.
Where is it?
On Vanston place, just off Fulham Broadway. With the Michelin-starred Harwood Arms just up the road, this corner of Fulham is now home to some serious culinary talent.
Where should I sit?
There is a relaxed atmosphere throughout the pub, with seating areas either side of the central bar. The left-hand section (as you enter) is perhaps the most fun, as you can survey the chefs through the service hatch, but the seating is comfortable and spacious throughout.
Where should I meet up with friends?
You could always have a drink at The Malt House bar before dinner (it is still a pub after all). There’s also the aforementioned Harwood Arms where you might be able to grab a stool at the bar. Then there’s the Cock and Hen, a Young’s pub on North End Road, if you’re after something more casual.
Is bread included?
It is indeed. Fine slices of fresh sourdough with soft salty butter went down a treat before the meal. Other bar snacks include a charcuterie board (£12.50) and home-made pork scratchings with malt vinegar powder (£2.50), which were absolutely delicious.
What should I eat?
The Malt House menu aims to please, with a solid selection of modern British dishes on offer. Among the mains are rare-breed steaks (£19.50-26.50), an aged black beef burger (£15), lamb chops (£21.50), lemon sole (£18.50), and pearl barley risotto (£12.50). In the starters section McGuiness allows himself a few moments of Hibiscus-style creativity, however, illustrated in our starters of lamb carpaccio with pickled cockles (£6.50) and cured salmon with rhubarb and dill (£10). The sharpness of the cockles complimented the lamb perfectly, as did the sweet rhubarb cubes in the salmon dish. Both were clever plates of food, well executed and with bags of flavour.
Our mains of pork belly with black pudding and apple puree (£14.50), and roast cod with celeriac (£16) were in the same league – full of flavour and cooked perfectly. The pork belly was the most meltingly tender we’ve ever tried, with a beautifully thin casing of crispy crackling, while the roast cod delivered meaty flakes of moist, buttery fish. Side dishes of confit potatoes, roast carrots, and cabbage (all £4) were excellent.
For dessert we tried the dark chocolate delice with bay leaf ice cream (£8) which was perfectly fine but suffered by comparison to the malted vanilla ice cream with salted caramel and crunchy biscuit topping (£6). And next time we'd also want to try the yoghurt and heather honey panna cotta (£6.50).
What about drinks?
Wines come predominantly from France and start at around £19 a bottle. There’s also a selection available by the glass and 500ml carafe, which is always a great option to have, especially at lunchtime. On their recommendation, we went for one of the few non-French whites, a bottle of Gavi di Gavi Cru at £32, which was light, crisp and worked with most of the dishes.
There are also the usual beers, spirits and an excellent cocktail list. We had a delicious apple and ginger mojito before dinner which at £8.50 was very reasonably priced.
Overall thoughts?
It’s hard to fault The Malt House. The cooking was excellent from start to finish, and service was relaxed and friendly. While you may not travel across London just to eat here, for locals it’s a real gem. Prices may be ever so slightly higher than what you’d expect in a gastropub, but really, everything about The Malt House is a step above that classification.
The Malt House is located at 17 Vanston Place, Fulham, London, SW6 1AY. To book call 020 7084 6888 or email reservations@malthousefulham.co.uk. Find out more about the Malt House.
Prices were correct at time of writing. Hot Dinners were invited to eat at The Malt House.
