Food & Booze

Bumpkin on Old Brompton…Nice

By Emma Mills ⋅ November 7, 2008 ⋅  Email This Post ⋅  Print This Post ⋅ Post a comment

Sometimes the London smog just gets a bit much. Do you know what I mean? And country living is like, wholesome and healthy, and gives you red cheeks, and a hearty laugh. Bumpkin promises a restaurant for city folk who like a bit of country living. So bring it on.

Having had a successful venture in Notting Hill – which I’ve never been to because when I wanted to for my birthday they didn’t take bookings for large parties – the brains behind Bumpkin have opened a new venue just down the road in South Kensington, on the Old Brompton Road. Their big claim is seasonal food with the best quality ingredients. No complaints so far.

It was a post-hail, torrentially rainy, freezing cold day when I visited, and Bumpkin was warm and inviting; all brown wood, ochre walls and divine meaty smells. I felt better already. It started well – attentive service, if not a little too keen to recommend everything on the menu. We tried a few wines before deciding on a pleasant Cabernet Sauvignon.

The menu was refreshingly simple, and rustic as I had hoped, with pies, great hunks of meat and classics like smoked mackerel, salt beef, shank of lamb and pork belly. We started with chicken liver pate and walnut and blue cheese salad. They were nice. But, well that was sort of it, just nice. Still, onward and upward.

For main course we ordered…well actually that’s not true. For main course we were kind of told to have Cornish Charter pie, lamb shank and several sides including peas and bacon, broccoli and champ. Our waiter was very keen, see, to let us know how delicious everything was, especially the things he wanted us to order. I wondered out loud if he was on commission for sides. Apparently he wasn’t.

The lamb shank arrived with mash, and the pie had a bible-thick pastry topping. We certainly didn’t need the champ. Or, it turned out, the peas and bacon. The pie was hearty and warming though, but being as it was their signature dish it was a little disappointing. My companion’s lamb shank was somewhat ordinary as well. If quality ingredients are supposed to be Bumpkin’s selling point then it didn’t succeed. The restaurant had only just opened and now I expect it needs more time to find the best suppliers, so I’m not writing it  off, but it definitely needs to up its game.

We did have a great apple pie though. Now that was nice, with fresh ingredients and quality taste. Bumpkin has the potential to be so much better, so until it gets its meat suppliers sorted I recommend you go there on a wintery day to consume lots of wine and apple pie.

Sorry there are no related posts yet!