The Havelock Tavern

I have always found the west of London to be a hard place to find a decent place to eat. Get beyond Kensington and I struggle to find somewhere that is able to offer fare that is worth the trip out.

The arrival of the Westfield shopping centre has certainly prompted an improvement in the general standard with people frequently coming to the area. I visited the Havelock Tavern, a venue that is like much of the places I have frequented in west London, hidden away on a back street, quite a distance from a tube stop. The icy streets also made progress slow but they also made my arrival that much more welcoming.

The venue had a lively atmosphere with plenty of locals stopping in for the evening and settling down for some food. The menu here is changed daily with a variance between lunch and dinner. My companion and I started our evening menu along with an accompanying bottle of Chenin Blanc. I chose the steamed mussels with shallots in a white wine, saffron and parsley sauce whilst my companion ventured for the Jerusalem artichoke with purple sprouting broccoli, parmesan and mixed leaves.

The mussels were very decent, exceptionally juicy and there were much more than one would expect from a £7 price tag. The accompanying sauce however was a little disappointing as it was more buttery than creamy. My companion was very eager to express her delight with her artichoke tart, reporting a nuanced and balanced flavour to her dish.

Our main courses arrived soon after. I chose the pork, smoked bacon and white wine casserole with mashed potatoes and greens. My companion went for the cod fillet with saffron butter beans and ratte potatoes, and a white wine, tomato, spinach olive and basil relish. I found the casserole quite sturdy, ideal for winter nights such as these. My one complaint would be the presence of the greens. The bitter taste rather cut into the mixture of pork and bacon and a more sensible compliment to the meat would have been the humble presence of root vegetables.

My companion had a couple of issues with the cod in that it was cold and with quite a bland taste. Compounding her misfortune was the problem that she did not have room enough for dessert. Therefore, she had to watch on as I delved into a pistachio, olive oil and lemon cake, with crème fraiche and rhubarb. I’ve never been a fan of olive oil in desserts and this confirmed my suspicions about its ungainly presence. However, the overall composition of the cake was enjoyable and was faithfully served with the addition of a glass of Monbazillac.

The Havelock Tavern is to be commended on having an enterprising menu incorporating seasonal produce. The value is pretty decent too with three courses costing around £25, which is ideal if you’ve surrendered control of your credit card in the nearby Westfield shopping centre.

The Havelock Tavern
57 Masbro Road
Shepherd’s Bush
W14 0LS

Tel: 020 7603 5374