Inside Ploussard, you can just about see the bar at the back
What can you tell us about Ploussard?
It comes from two people who, until recently, were doing something quite different in this very space. Matt Harris and Tommy Kempton are the founders of Other Side Fried, the fried chicken restaurant that you'll find at both Brixton and Battersea (still serving up some excellent chicken).
There also used to be an Other Side Fried on the spot that Ploussard now holds. However, it wasn't quite working for them so, rather than give up on the space, they decided to try something they've had on the back burner for a while - a fully-fledged restaurant. Matt's background comes from restaurants like One Leicester Street and The Parlour so it's very much in his wheelhouse. Not to get too ahead of ourselves, but this turned out to be a very good decision.
Where is it?
It's in Battersea, although as north Londoners we'd normally refer to the area as Clapham (and thus get all manner of ire from locals). You'll find it about a five-minute walk from Clapham Junction, diagonally across the road from the Northcote pub.
Where should we go for a drink first?
The aforementioned Northcote is a good bet (it's where we went) but it's also worth considering Ploussard itself. That's billed as a wine bar as well as a restaurant, so it's very useful either for a quick pre-dinner drink or even to pop into if you're passing. Stools are kept free at the window and the bar at the back of the restaurant so it's an ideal place to stop for some wine and snacks.
Looking in, you can see the people-watching tables at the front
Where should we sit?
If there are four of you, there are a couple of booths that should be your first choice. Otherwise, it's a case of wherever they sit you, although the walk-in stools by the window will be perfect for combining wine, food and people-watching.
Onto the food - what can we expect?
Ploussard has a fairly wide remit, being billed as a neighbourhood restaurant with a seasonal small plates menu. It's a small plates affair and it's probably best to order two-three dishes at a time. Portions are fairly generous, particularly when it comes to the steak dish mentioned below so we'd recommend ordering six-eight dishes in total (including dessert) between two people.
Kicking off with shacks, if these are on the menu they should be your first port of call:
Lincolnshire poacher eclairs (£6)
These snacks have changed on the menu since opening - they used to have comté croquettes - but we can see these eclairs (or similar) becoming a big draw. They're essentially bite-sized pastry parcels of cheesy goodness. Order them immediately, while you're looking through the rest of the menu.
Another must-order is this:
Lamb and anchovy crumpet (£12)
Being ever-so-slightly squeamish about whole anchovies (it's a texture thing although we love the taste), we were pleased to discover this is made using anchovy emulsion. That's combined with slow-cooked lamb shoulder, puffed pearl barley, chives and capers, all atop a fresh-baked crumpet. It's amazing.
More of the small plates included smoked cod's roe with squid ink crackers (£7) or another very seasonal dish, asparagus with sauce gribiche and walnuts (£9). We ended up going for the following:
Nutbourne tomatoes, wild garlic, ricotta and fried bread (£10)
Pate en croute and beer mustard (£10). A great pate en croute is almost a must for any self-respecting wine bar and this is a very good version, although we'll reserve a special mention for that perfectly pitched beer mustard - tangy without being too sharp.
There was also one larger dish on the menu - a steak dish that wouldn't surprise us if it stayed on in one form or another:
Hereford beef, brown oyster mushroom, green peppercorn sauce (£28). The most expensive dish on the menu (almost double that of the next one down) but this justifies the cost. A generous piece of beef overlaid on a bed of oyster mushrooms with a truly great sauce.
What about dessert?
There are just two desserts (or cheese) available and on this showing, we'd easily recommend either of them, with a slight lean to the rhubarb and custard. Again, expect them to change seasonally, so grab that rhubarb dish while you can.
Rhubarb and Custard (£9) - This is rhubarb compote, whipped vanilla custard (which is VERY good), rhubarb sorbet, brown sugar & ginger meringue shards.
Chocolate mousse, salted caramel ice cream, hazelnut (£9)
What about drink?
Ploussard is a wine bar - so you'll definitely want to be paying attention to the wine list. It's a natural list, so we'd recommend getting a hand if you're a little unfamiliar (we were directed to an excellent Andorfer Handcrafted Riesling (£42). Prices start at £32 for orange wine, and £38/£40 for bottles of red/white, with glasses starting at £6.50 (on the white side, that's a 2021 Les Petits Clèments Mauzac/Sauvignon Blanc).
There are a couple of cocktails too - a sage negroni (£11) or a meadow and sorrel martini (£13). Expect these to change regularly too, and we'd strongly recommend the martini.
Overall thoughts
Shifting gears from fried chicken to a neighbourhood restaurant has been an extremely good decision by the team here. The food on offer was uniformly great and there was a strong buzz in the restaurant, which was busy on a Tuesday night. It's the kind of restaurant you'd absolutely love to have in your neighbourhood, with the added benefit that you can just pop in for wine and snacks. All in all it's a very impressive addition to the area.
More about Ploussard
Where is it? 97 St. John’s Road Battersea Rise, London SW11 1QY
How to book: Book online
Find out more: Visit their website or follow them on Instagram @ploussardlondon.
Hot Dinners ate as guests of Ploussard. Prices are correct at the time of writing.
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