After being present at the launch of The Nutty Italian pizza at Bunga Bunga, which was a collaboration of the team from the Nutbourne and Bunga Bunga, I thought I would pay a visit to the Nutbourne itself.
We arrived at the restaurant to find a light, relaxed atmosphere. The staff were friendly and I took great delight in the decorations above us, various and many forms of farming paraphernalia hanging from the ceiling by parachute.
The menu choices were the a-la-carte or the set lunch menu, and the later at £19.50 is fantastic value. “An absolute steal” to quote my dining company The Bearded One.
For my main, I ordered the Salt baked BBQ turnip, cranberries, dandelion, seed clusters, and tahine with lemon dressing. I was intrigued to see if this dish would suffice as a main. It didn’t disappoint. It consisted of two small palm-sized turnips with a delicate nuance of BBQ smokiness. They were crunchy and hearty. The melange of flavours reminded me that spring is on its way as every forkful took my palate on a different journey. The dish was fresh and delightful and sufficiently substantial. BIG Tick.
The Bearded One was presented with a hen pheasant and venison puff pastry pudding, caramelised onions and Jerusalem artichokes. The dish was quite a spectacle, with the artichoke slices huddling on the base of the pudding. The sesame seeded pastry wrapped around the tender delicate mouthfuls of wonderfully seasoned game. It was a fantastic combination of flavours as we head into the end of Game season.
As a lover of Salted Caramel, the Shed Magnum Viennetta Parfait ticked all the boxes for my companion. Served on a cold metal dish, the salted caramel, dark robust chocolate and velvety ice cream was luxurious and opulent.
I decided to try the grilled Tunworth, almonds and honey, accompanied by dainty fennel seed crackers. This fragrant, nutty, sweet dish delighted all my senses. I relished in the crunchiness of the nuts and fragility of the crackers. I embraced the aroma of the Tunworth and then went on to pair it with every other flavour offering on the plate. I was blissfully content.
We will be returning to the Nutbourne and I wish to congratulate the Gladwin brothers on their Battersea gem. I would definitely recommend it to friends.
Majella
Restaurant Openings and Reviews Editor, Majella O’Connell