This may be one of the best-looking pub dining rooms in London...
Haven't you already been to The Hero?
You're right, we have done a Test Drive of the pub downstairs, but there's a lot more to this Maida Vale operation than just that. Most recently the trio behind this (plus the Pelican, the Bull in Charlbury and the Canteen in Notting Hill) have opened their first-floor restaurant, The Grill, which has an entirely separate menu. So we came back to try that too.
Where's good to meet for a drink first?
Obviously, there's the pub downstairs, but you should hope that your table isn't quite ready when you arrive so, like us, you can repair to the top floor cocktail bar, The Library, for a drink first. This is a fabulously atmospheric spot for a drink - roaring fires at both ends and a central cocktail kitchen table so you can see first-hand your drinks being made.
It's a dark and candle-lit spot so you'll have to take our word for it that this is a margarita and martini (£15 and £16 respectively). They were both well made and frankly we're hideously jealous of West Londoners for having such a lovely cocktail bar on their doorstep.
Here's a better-lit picture taken by the pub itself to give you more of an idea of what the bar looks like.
What's The Grill like?
If you loved how the pub downstairs looks then you're going to be in raptures at this dining room. The high ceilings and panelling make it look like a 17th-century inn (just a lot nicer and cleaner). It must be a lovely room at lunchtime with all that light, but for dinner, it's dark and flickering with candles. That makes everyone look incredibly attractive, but does absolutely nothing for food photography. You'll just have to imagine how good these dishes would look with nice direct lighting.
What's on the menu?
The open kitchen serves up a regularly changing menu that focuses on meat and fish sourced from sustainable and regenerative producers. There are also a lot of sharing options, making it a very useful spot for group dining.
We opted for more of the dishes you'd have to yourself, so we could roam around the menu a little more. Here's what we had:
The bread rolls are amazing, served up with The Hero's own cultured butter.
Raw beef with hash brown (£14) - recommended to us, this dish is a belter with an absolute mound of beef tartare on top of a crispy hash brown with vintage red Leicester cheese shaved all over it.
Wild mushrooms with a hen egg (£15) - yes we have ordered variations on this dish a lot recently, but if restaurants are going to keep putting it on the menu, we'll keep ordering it.
Pork tenderloin with mustard sauce (£22) - a deeply comforting dish with a pitch-perfect sauce.
Fillet of beef with creamed spinach (£38) - not only was this a beautiful steak, but that's actually a pretty good price point for a steak this big and of this quality in London.
Brown butter and also soda bread and whiskey ice cream. Having an Irish aunt who made the best homemade brown bread ice cream, we're giving this dessert the ultimate accolade when we say it was every bit as good as hers. More of this on London's menus, please.
What's on the wine list?
They say the list here aims to "strike a balance between familiar and adventurous choices". So if a nice Rioja is your thing or a Provencal rose then you'll find those here, alongside more interesting options, including more natural and biodynamic wines. It's a pretty well-priced list too with plenty in the £30-£40 bracket and glasses of wine starting at just £6.
Overall thoughts:
If you love the idea of The Hero, but prefer having a more comfortable dining experience without having folk nudging you on their way to the bar, then The Grill is the way to go. There was a great mix of folk eating here on the night we came in, couples on dates, groups of friends celebrating, family get-togethers. The menu is full of hits and we are already wanting to go back and try the much-vaunted ham and parsley terrine or the duck pie.
Lucky Maida Vale folk having this in their neck of the woods.
More about The Grill at The Hero
Where is it? 55 Shirland Rd, London W9 2JD
Find out more: Visit their website or follow them on Instagram @thehero_w9.
Hot Dinners dined as guests of The Hero. Prices correct at time of publication.
Subscribe to be the first to get the news from Hot Dinners
