What can you tell me about the Newman Street Tavern?
One look at the team behind this gastropub should explain why it's worthy of note - the head chef is Peter Weeden who previously worked at Paternoster Chop House and Boundary - his partners are Nigel Sutcliffe (who worked on the opening of The Fat Duck), James McLean and Jerome Armit who were all behind the Henry Root in Chelsea.
Where is it?
As the name suggests it's on the corner of Newman Street and Goodge Street, a stone's throw from Goodge Street tube.
Who's it suitable for?
Any decent spot in this area is going to be popular with the media and advertising crowd who work round here. On the evening we went, the downstairs room was packed with a young, buzzy crowd. Upstairs was more sedate, with an older, suited crowd.
Where should we meet for a drink first?
The cocktails here are excellent - our Vespa martini (Gin, Vodka and Lillet Blanc) was spot on, so you could happily start your evening here. Alternatively there's always the Draft House a few buildings away or the bar at the Charlotte Street hotel as good meeting spots.
Where should we sit?
If you want to be able to have a decent conversation, the room upstairs is where to go. We had a table for two by the window looking out over Goodge Street.
What should we order?
They make much of their raw bar here, so we started off with a couple of ultra fresh scallops served in their shells served with garlic butter (£6 each). Alongside those we tried the suckling pig scrumpets (£6.50) which suffered by comparison to a very similar starter we'd had recently at Zoilo. Happily a ham hock terrine (£5.50) was a much tastier piggy dish.
For mains we returned to the suckling pig, this time having it served up with beer onions (£17). The pig was tender and the onions, which were actually pureed, were gorgeous. But the winner dish was a brilliant partridge teamed perfectly with carraway cabbage (£16.50) although they need sharper cutlery than the knife we had to hack away at it. We also had a side order of black cabbage (cavolo nero) which was just OK and fried potatoes with penny bun, parsley and garlic which was spectacularly moreish. When we couldn't finish it, we had it put in a doggy bag to take home for a very satisfying breakfast the next day. For a side dish it was bloody expensive at £8, but we loved it.
For desserts one of us conceded defeat and just had a little Banbury cake (£2.50) while the other went for broke with a really good Ayrshire custard tart at £5.50 (although it could have done without the coulis it was served on)..
And what about drinks?
The wine list here has clearly had some serious thought given to it. We were sat next to a couple of wine suppliers who were enthusiastically working their way through the list and proclaimed themselves to be very impressed with it. There are nine reds and whites available by the glass, bottle and two different carafe sizes. A small 125ml glass starts at just £3.50. We enjoyed a glass of both Vouvray Sec Silex £5.90) and a Sicilian Frappato (£5.70) but our favourite was the natural Montlouis Mineral+ by winemaker Franz Saumon (£42). We know natural wines tend to be the marmite of the wine world, but this was a genuinely interesting and delicious wine.
Is bread included?
It is and it's great. Made on the premises, the thick slab of bloomer we were given was delicious.
Overall thoughts?
There's a lot to like about this place. Looks-wise it's a winner with all the comfort and style of the kind of New York taverns that we really like. The wine list is tremendous and the food had more hits than misses, with some great seafood and desserts. One thing we'd add is that the layout upstairs could do with a bit of a rethink. Without the noise of downstairs, our table was honestly too close to the one beside it. We ended up chatting to our fellow diners which was fun, but if you're having a business lunch or a dinner date, the proximity would be awkward.
Newman Street Tavern, 48 Newman Street, London W1T 1QQ
Prices were correct at time of writing. Hot Dinners were invited to eat at Newman Street Tavern.
