The rather grand dining room at The Lavery
What do we need to know about The Lavery?
This is one of those restaurants that would probably garner interest just because it's a new opening in an area that doesn't see much in the way of restaurant action. But it becomes a lot more compelling when you consider the people involved.
First up there's the creative director Martin Cohen. His background involves the likes of L'Escargot and Rochelle Canteen. The meeter and greeter here is Alcides Gauto, who was previously at Toklas along with the head chef Yohei Furuhashi who, before he headed up the kitchen at Toklas, spent nine years at The River Cafe. So, yes, an interesting (and talented bunch).
Where is it?
It's in South Kensington which, as we've said, doesn't see a lot of notable new restaurant openings. It's taken over the Cromwell Place events space across a series of Grade II-listed Georgian townhouses, one of which belonged to painter Sir John Lavery (hence the name). It's just a few minutes walk to South Ken station, but the entrance is very understated so it's easy to walk past.
The dining room itself is pretty grand - think high ceilings, plaster reliefs and beautiful parquet flooring.
Where should we meet friends for a drink first?
Rather conveniently, The Lavery has a separate bar that you could pop into for a cocktail - more of which, later. Alternatively, the bar at nearby Apero does a decent cocktail list too.
The bar's a good place to enjoy a cocktail before lunch or dinner
What kind of food are they serving up?
They describe the offering here as seasonal Mediterranean with a Scottish touchpoint. There's a connection with Scotland’s Balcaskie Estate, which is owned by the same man who also owns a decent part of this area of South Kensington, Sir Toby Anstruther.
The menu moves from snacks and small plates to larger offerings. Here's what we tried so you can see what to expect, although being so super seasonal means that half of what we tried is no longer on offer.
Salt cod, Iberiko tomato and polenta (£9) - a very comforting pairing of brandade, griddled polenta and winter tomatoes.
Scottish scallop, cime di rapa, tomato and cedro (£19) - we'll presume this came from the Scottish estate and it was an absolute beast of a scallop, complete with coral.
Carne cruda - veal tartare, raw artichoke and parmesan (£21) - one of those dishes that tasted great but from a visual perspective could have done with a touch of colour on the plate.
Chalk stream trout, Italian spinach, agretti and wild garlic aioli (£29) - we didn't get to try this but our dining companion pronounced it "truly lovely".
Middle white pork chop, endive, Dijon and parsley (£32) - when you've got good produce like this the key is not to mess around with it too much, and the kitchen let it sing.
What's on the menu for vegetarians and vegans
There are plenty of properly interesting options if you're looking for plant-forward dishes. When we visite, they included a starter of puntarelle alla Romana, a main of artichoke ratatouille with chickpea farinata and watercress and this...
Gnocchi di patate, fresh peas, hen of the woods and ricotta salata (£19) - revelatory gnocchi, who knew they could be this ethereal?
Room for dessert?
We'd been very excited about the prospect of a rhubarb galette, which turned out not to be on when we arrived. But the dessert options are all rather interesting, rather than being an afterthought which they can sometimes be.
Pomelo and passion fruit "Lavery mess" (£12) - it looks like this might be a signature dessert with the fruit options changing according to the season. We always love a good Eton mess so we're a fan of this.
What's about the drinks list?
There is a concise, European-focused wine list with plenty of classic options matched with some funkier Orange blends. And it's not often you spot something from Transylvania on a London list. Wine by the glass starts at an incredibly reasonable £6.50 with maybe a third of the list in the sub-£50 price range, for which we're always grateful. It might have been nice, though, to have a few carafe options too. There's also a seasonal selection of cocktails too. We tried the following sharpeners:
Elderflower negroni (£14) and Orange martini (£12) - both completely fine, but we do fervently wish more people understood the importance of temperature when serving a martini, as this one wasn't cold enough.
Overall thoughts:
A busy dining room on a Tuesday night suggests that South Kensington folk are delighted by the arrival of a genuinely interesting new restaurant on their doorsteps. And the addition soon of an all day cafe and bar will make the space even more of a lure to anyone visiting. Our one gripe was perhaps a lack of personality. While no one wants a drawn-out 'concept' explained to them, it would be nice to hear them setting out their stall just a little. But we went in on their official opening day, so we'll give them a little latitude on that!
More about The Lavery
Where is it? 4 Cromwell Place, London SW7 2JE
How to book? book online here.
Find out more: Visit their website or follow them on Instagram @thelavery
Hot Dinners dined as guest of The Lavery. Prices correct at time of publication.
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