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You can barely go five
yards in south west London without hitting a gastro pub,
however, few are as delightful as The Victoria in East Sheen.
So go grab your A-Z and venture deep into suburban territory.
The Venue
Combining the village inn with an upscale eatery is no easy
task, but Bellamy and Merrett (probably best known as the
presenter of the BBCs Ever Wondered About Food) pull it
off with aplomb. Set in the leafy suburbs of Sheen, far
from the madding crowd but not too far from Richmond Park,
The Victoria is a beautiful looking pub, adorned with a
timber-framed conservatory and simply but stylishly decorated
with reclaimed wooden furniture.
The decor is stylishly minimalist with cream walls, huge
burnished leather sofas and shiny brass pipes. The main
dining area is situated in the conservatory, an airy space
which overlooks the garden. Lampshades the size of lorry
wheels dominate the room and the odd vase of designer flowers
gives the place a light, contemporary feel. What’s
really nice about The Victoria is that it hasn’t been
packed to the rafters with tables so everyone has enough
space to relax rather than feeling like your sitting on
your neighbour’s knee. The bar is just as enticing
with cosy hideaways and more comfy sofas. For those too
full/tipsy to drive home, there’s a handful of stylish
guest rooms upstairs for an overnight stay.
The Atmosphere
The Victoria is very popular with the locals of East Sheen.
Surrounded by roads of smart semi-detached houses, it would
be rude not to enjoy such gastro-treats on your doorstep.
Despite its stylish interior The Victoria is very family-friendly
with a dedicated kids’ menu (devised with input from
chef Paul Merrett’s 12-year-old daughter) and a huge
garden. The evenings are generally kid-free making way for
local residents who come for a fancy late supper or to entertain
visitors. The staff are nice and friendly yet not too attentive,
leaving diners to relax into their meals. Despite the ambient
banter you can still make out the chilled tunes which gently
flood the room giving the place a nice, vibrant atmosphere.
The Food
The menu here at The Victoria is short but oh-so sweet with
just a handful of starters, mains and desserts on offer.
If you go in with your pub-grub head on it all seems a little
pricy, however, the food is excellent making the prices
very reasonable for the quality. On a Monday and Tuesday
the two for £10 offer is popular and offers diners
two courses for a very reasonable tenner, offered for both
lunch and dinner and changing frequently depending on what’s
available. For starters, give the spiced chicken bhuna salad
(£7) a try as it tastes just as good as it sounds.
Fresh, crisp little gem lettuce is topped with warm nuggets
of spicy chicken and little crispy onion bhajis, each with
a soft, sweet oniony centre. A scattering of grilled courgettes
and roasted tomatoes are then drizzled with a fresh mint
yoghurt dressing. It is truly delicious. The butternut squash
chowder, a steal at £5, with fresh chilli, coconut
and coriander is so comforting it’s like a great big
spicy duvet in a bowl. The gloriously orange soup has just
the right texture and a nice bite of chilli to keep it interesting.
For a main course, the fillet of sea trout with asparagus
and crushed new potatoes (£13.50) is really quite
exceptional. A dish of crispy, pan-fried trout arrives on
a bed of rough mash and a swirl of lemony foam, then finished
off with three perfectly cooked spears of asparagus and
a battered rock oyster sat on the side like a posh prawn
ball. It has a range of flavours lasting right through to
the very last mouthful. The char grilled pork chop (£14)
is served with Turkish aubergine, a creamy garlic tzatziki
and three homemade pita breads. A large wooden platter arrives
with a thick, char-streaked chop which is juicy and well
cooked. The tzatziki and aubergine, which has just a hint
of spice, are quite unusual but nonetheless delicious accompaniments
to the meat.
For desserts, again just a handful on offer, but thankfully
they all are pretty fantastic. The chocolate and peanut
brownie cookies with peanut butter ice cream and white chocolate
sauce (£5) is truly heavenly. A tower of three handmade
chocolate and peanut cookies are topped with a scoop of
buttery peanut ice cream and then drizzled with chocolate
sauce. For those more virtuous, try the fresh Alfonso mango
with lime, mango sorbet and served with mango lassi (£5).
Ripe cubes of sweet mango are served with a smooth ball
of soft, sweet sorbet and a shot glass of fragrant fruit
lassi. It’s the complete dietary antithesis of the
cookie dessert but it’s just as fabulous.
The Drink
The Victoria’s nicely rounded wine list is compiled
by effervescent wine buff Olly Smith. He has chosen the
wine list specifically to go with chef Paul Merrett’s
eclectic menu and has divided the choices into styles such
as fresh and fruity and rich and spicy. House wines start
at £15 a bottle for a very reasonable Cuvee le Duc
(the house white) or Chispas Syrah (the house red), or try
a nice yet not too buttery Chilean chardonnay (£16)
which works well with both the pork and the fish dishes.
There is a small selection of fizz on offer for those celebratory
moments (like, it’s a Monday) including the distinctly
British Ridgeview cuvee at £36 a bottle. For non-wine
lovers the bar offers all the usual suspects including Timothy
Taylor Landlord ale and London Pride both on tap.
The Last Word
The Victoria in East Sheen puts the gastro back into gastro
pub. It excels at offering exceptionally tasty and well
thought out dishes at reasonable prices. Recommended.
Tracey Davies
See the website at: http://www.viewlondon.co.uk
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