The Harwood Arms Restaurant Review: The Only Michelin Starred Pub in London

The is my second time at The Harwood Arms now and it was so good to be back. I last dined here just over a year ago and had some very fond memories of the food, but returning once again – everything seems to have got better still. The service is excellent as always, but the food and menu feel as if it’s improved so much with a delicious sounding selection of dishes which you’ll find virtually impossible to pick only one

Looking after the kitchen here at this fine Fulham pub is head chef Sally Abe who joined the restaurant in 2017 and came with a stellar CV. Having worked at the likes of Gordon Ramsay at Claridges, from there she went on to spend 5 years working under Brett Graham at the Ledbury, before moving on to Phil Howard’s Elystan street and then The Harwood Arms as Head Chef in February 2017. With this much experience, you just know it’s going to be good. We started our journey with some rather epic warm soda bread and a 76 white Hermitage which one of my colleagues brought along. Both were the perfect start.

The thing I love most about The Harwood Arms and on comparison to almost completely every other Michelin starred restaurant, is that while it looks and feels like a pub – once you sit down to eat that completely changes. You can pop to the bar and drink a few too many pints of ale, or even enjoy a cigar outside – but then sit down to one hell of a meal. First out and very delicious was a pot of whipped chicken livers served with the best home-made hob nobs you’re ever likely to come across. The whipped livers probably could have been a little thicker in texture, but flavour wise they were spot on. Especially when spread over those biscuits.

Our other starters were just as good as we’d hoped for too. Roast quail with winter leaves, pickled pear and hazelnut cream was a dream, but even better was the wood-pigeon and prune faggots with carrot and pickled walnut. Juicy, rich and incredibly satisfying. The sort of food which will leave you quite literally salivating at the table.

Roast rump of Cumbrian veal with Jerusalem artichoke and wild garlic was yet another stunner from the kitchen and when it comes to precision of cooking – it really doesn’t get much better than this. The veal was of the finest quality and all of the flavours combined produced a really stunning plate of food. It also went great with our 2010 Chave Hermitage, a wine which I can finally tick off my bucket list. A bouquet of sweet blackberry fruit, lead pencil shavings and a rich meaty texture.

Equally as satisfying, though if I’m being very picky could have done with a little more salt was the roast fallow deer with baked crapaudine beetroot (long variety), smoked bone marrow and walnut crumble. Again the meat was exquisite and cooked to perfection, the silky jus was some of the finest I’ve had all year and that beetroot was frankly just as show stopping as the meat itself.

Dessert was of course stunning and while we didn’t quite have room it was well worth every bite. The most perfect mini doughnuts, smothered in sugar and filled with a lemon curd sauce. On the side was a thick Earl grey sauce which was perfect for dunking these hot delicious doughnuts into.

We had such a stunning meal once again at The Harwood Arms and it only confirmed to me just how good this place, its food and service really was. Yes, it may look like an ordinary pub from the outside, but step in through the doors and you’ll be transported to foodie heaven.