‘I think it’s a deer pelt,’ my friend Tom said as I caressed the wine menu at Battersea’s newest eatery, the Nutbourne.
The attention to detail here is on point and even the tipples of the day are presented in a strokable binder.
If you’re looking for wholesome comfort food, with a invitingly relaxed atmosphere, then this is the place to pop to.
Founded by the same people behind The Shed (Notting Hill) and the Rabbit (Chelsea), the Nutbourne offers the same kind of cuisine using locally sourced ingredients.
Oliver Gladwin, one of the three brothers behind the culinary enterprise, is a skilled forager and even delves around Battersea park to see what he can find.
Nutbourne – situated on the water’s edge – has only been open for a few weeks but already the place is stocked with locals.
A group of gym bunnies in their yoga gear sit to my right, while a trio of older diners sit behind talking about their recent trip to the Atlas Mountains in Morocco.
To get going we ordered a refreshing tipple, with a delicious British Negroni and Wellington cocktail (which actually comes served in a glass wellington, complete with pansies).
The Nutbounre’s menu is vast and there is something to suit every taste, but hearty meat dishes is what it does best.
To start we had langoustines in a roasted pork bisque and grouse – which was served very rare on a hot salt rock. A chunky wedge of bread meant we could mop up any remnants of sauce.
With it being a rather rainy Sunday, Tom opted for a warming lamb leg main course while I plumped for a lighter crayfish salad.
To accompany our mains, I decided to try a portion of bone marrow, while some honey-marinated carrots completed the lot.
On the drinks front, I was still working through my generous negroni but Tom picked out a glass of rioja.
Nutbourne, is also the name of the brothers’ vineyard in West Sussex, so the wine selection has been crafted with care.
Despite feeling amply full, I had to try the famous viennetta parfait, which appears on all of the Gladwin Brothers’ menus.
I’d been told the creamy iced pudding is a sell-out menu item and after one spoonful it was easy to see why.
Crunchy dark chocolate gave way to a gooey, lusciousness of salted caramel sauce. The ice cream slowly dissolved around the toffee taste.
A big plus to the Nutbourne is that it’s just by Battersea Park.
So after filling up on an array of delicious treats, we walked it off with a heavenly autumnal stroll.
The Nutbourne is located at 35-37 Parkgate Road, 29 Ransomes Dock, Battersea, London SW11 4NP
To book, please visit www.nutbourne-restaurant.com or telephone 020 7350 0555
