Style over substance
Southam Street sees the transformation of a formerly grotty pub at the non-fashionable end of Notting Hill into a destination venue offering cocktails, food and a members’ club. Based on a recent visit, the owners are definitely doing something right. My comrade and I liked the vibe, but were perhaps less impressed with the food. In the end, this may not matter – the angle Southam Street seems to be going for is perhaps more style than substance. A charitable interpretation would suggest that the cooking standards could be upped – but this still doesn’t change the fact that most locals in nearby Trellick Tower probably won’t ever come here; rather, it felt like a place for those who want to bray a new ‘upcoming’ discovery. The building is split into three: grill, raw bar (sushi-and Saké) and then the private room for members. Our meal was in the former. Chef Chris Denney has been given a reasonably free hand in designing the menu and it seems to take in a combination of on-trend culinary styles. I am sure there is a commercial impetus behind this, but some more focus might have served the restaurant better. My comrade and I kicked off with two ‘snack’ dishes: house pickles and kimchi (fermented cabbage Korean-style) and, black pepper & garlic prawn crackers with a shiso avocado dip. Presentation was excellent – a theme that continued throughout – although if pressed to observe anything novel or stand-out about either dish, I would really struggle. Onto the starters and flashes of brilliance (horseradish mascarpone does work – trust me) were offset by moments of mediocrity (the bao bun of Korean fried chicken was distinctly greasy). A similar story would characterise our mains (an excellent piece of fish, much less impressive meat). Be mindful that the trend for small sharing dishes – onto which Southam Street has unsurprisingly leapt – means that costs can add up, particularly when drinks are factored in. Similarly, we were impressed by the range available on the wine list, but did note that there appeared to be very few value options. I guess Southam Street knows its target market…