-by Tom Gatehouse
tomgatehouse.com
Akin to being wrapped in the soothing embrace of a puffy duvet, listening to the sound of rain battering the roof, feeling toasty and secure outdoors in a ubiquitous warmth is simply exquisite; with the newly opened West London eatery, ‘Eelbrook’, not only offering this in spades thanks to a beautiful al fresco area, but also a wonderful view of casual Fulham greenery on the tip of its namesake common as it gradually bows into Autumn.
How disappointing it was then when my companion and I arrived on their doorstep, on what was a pleasantly nippy September evening, to find that the aforementioned al fresco feature remained under a state of construction, with tables bereft of their chairs, and curled up umbrellas still waiting to burst into flower.
Having only opened a few short weeks ago, it is understandable that Eelbrook, physically, is not yet up to full speed. Not an uncommon scenario, and also one that gives Head Chef Brett Barnes’ the impetus to show off his talents as his casual fine dining restaurant takes its first tentative steps.
Despite a gaggle of Sammy Dent paintings waiting patiently in the corner to be hung, Eelbrook’s minimalist yet wholly comfortable interior, fashioned by Hakkasan Las Vegas designer Haruo Morishima, ticks most of the boxes. With low ceilings and a multitude of candles, Eelbrook’s cosiness will make them more approachable a destination for those looking for the less formal; a trendy restaurant/café hybrid, one that feels right taking root in the area.
Offering high quality food in less than intense surroundings, Chef Barnes (of former Duck Soup and Michelin starred Fäviken fame) has conjured up a pan-European menu, made from quality British ingredients, with Mediterranean influences seen across the board. With food served all day, one could nip in for a batch of ricotta pancakes with blueberries and crème fraiche before a morning stroll, lunch on a naughty lobster roll with cucumber and chive mayonnaise, or arrive, as we did, to experience the full dinner menu, with a number of options catching the eye early on.
Having developed a taste for the more unusual cuts of meat while living in Hong Kong, I couldn’t resist a stab at Barnes’ pork cheek croquettes with burnt shallots sauce to start with, while my guest plumped for a plate of the salame toscano.
When dining as a two, a dish made up of a trio never fails to aggravate me, with the cheeks no exception. I’d rather just two croquettes have arrived, with the third donated to the budding wildlife sure to be watching with envy just beyond the reflective glass doors in the common. However, despite the distraction of delicately lacerating the final nugget into semi-even chunks to retain some measure of domestic politeness, I found the croquettes themselves to be superb, with a texture not unlike pulled-pork, the meat delicate and with a subtle flavour.
The veritable mound of salame toscano comfortably exceeded expectation, both in quantity and quality. Succulent and substantial, these thick slices of Italian spiced sausage constituted an excellent starter, perhaps even for more than two partaking, with an added portion of cloud-soft, grilled flatbread setting us up nicely for our mains.
My Elwy Valley lamb rump with coco beans and sauce vierge properly demonstrated Barnes’ flair when dealing with modern British cuisine. With diced tomatoes and cucumber liberally scattered among the ensemble, the addition of sliced black olives gave the dish a decidedly Greek feel, with the French vierge subtly offsetting the medium-rare lamb, expertly sliced, with thin portions of fat giving that bit extra flavour and a delicate, satisfying crunch.
My companion’s bavette steak, topped with roasted onions and a dollop of mushroom ketchup visually fell short when next to my aesthetically pleasing rump (couldn’t resist), and was a little too rare for his taste. The mushroom ketchup looked like charred magma on the white crockery, but was mercifully not ash-ridden and bitty as it so looked. On the contrary, it contained an enduring richness that complimented the meat – which remained well seasoned and certainly juicy – while helping overcome my guest’s aversion to the ‘rather bloody’ and ‘still walking’, as he so put it.
Overall, Eelbrook showed promise, but I was very aware that another visit, perhaps in a couple of months time, would give a clearer reflection of their abilities. The food was, on the whole, well-executed, but both it and the restaurant arguably needs a bedding-in period to really find that uniqueness of character, and tighten up a few loose bolts.
With leaves now audibly crunching underfoot, and the wind starting to tease and tousle, England’s rather long summer looks to be finally sidling towards its end; and I for one am looking forward to long evenings basked in a warm, yellowy glow – tucking into a lavish dinner just out of nature’s insistent reach – and spending quality time reminiscing and future-gazing. If Eelbrook can work out the kinks, with the al fresco area the jewel in the crown, it has the potential to become a well-loved mainstay in the heart of Fulham.
‘Eelbrook’
