Hide and Seed

In March, Putney welcomed a menu that is both exciting and unusual to its restaurant scene. Upon hearing this news, I did what any south-west London resident with inquisitive taste buds would – I toddled on over there to check it out.

Hide and Seed sits cosily on the ground floor of the Lodge Hotel on Upper Richmond Road, a quiet-ish residential area. If this place was my local, I’d be feeling pretty flipping sophisticated, as when I take a peek at the sturdy card menus there’s not a burger or chunky fries portion in sight. That said, the menu sure is worth a munch on. The evening pans out a little bit like The Taste as guests are handed fancy looking spoonfuls, tubs and jars featuring bite sized samples of head chef Ricardo Soares’s creative menu. The emphasis perhaps swings towards fresh fish and seafood with scallops, langoustine, halibut and mullet all making an appearance but there’s also a ‘Cabrito goat’ (£17.50) served with carrot, rosemary potato and wilted green as a main course.

The halibut is the stand out dish, or spoon in this case. It is served on pureed purple potato with super fashionable kale salt and accompanied by a powerful smoked cauliflower. For anyone quick to dismiss cauliflower as a boring veg, do not discount this dish as the smokiness really raises the profile of this poor man’s broccoli to dizzying heights. If only caullies came smoked as standard…

The starter that grabs the headline is the unattractively named ‘22-hour pig’s head’. It’s Peppa or Percy’s bonce, slow cooked and served with smoked pepper jam and cucumber topped with a fragment of crispy pig’s ear. Name aside, it’s good. It has the consistency of a terrine; a nice, hearty pork terrine.

Portuguese head chef Ricardo showcases his inventiveness superbly in the dessert menu too. He pairs almond and rosemary flavoured sponge with rhubarb caramel and an earthy beetroot sorbet. There’s also a spiced butternut squash brûlée with basil and lime sponge.

Sure, Putney hasn’t exactly been top of anyone’s go to places for cutting-edge grub, but this menu is equally as cool and equally as cray cray as anything Dalston / Peckham / Haggeston have got going on.

Hide and Seed
52-54 Upper Richmond Road
Putney
SW15 2RN

T: 020 8874 1598