By Denis Sheehan FIH: My West London dining locale of choice heads slightly further west.
Having grown up near Brentford and going to school there, a recent visit demonstrated much has changed in recent years, certainly the landscape. My visit however was not to survey Brentford’s panorama, but thankfully to experience Sam Harrison’s latest restaurant opening, Sam’s Waterside, with a friend, Maureen Mills.
Sam’s Waterside is a 4,000 sq ft space that emphasises informal dining comprising a 70-cover restaurant, 30-seat bar, and a waterside outdoor terrace for up to 40 diners.
The restaurant sits within The Brentford Project, a new riverside community that has and continues to transform nearly 12 acres of the southern half of Brentford’s High Street. Reconnecting it with the waterfront via a series of pedestrianised yards and lanes. Alongside 876 new homes, the project brings a mix of new dining, entertainment, shopping, and leisure amenities, and more than 5 acres of landscaping into the public’s realm. Two revitalised docks will also create new riverside leisure hubs. The Brentford Project is being delivered by property developer Ballymore.
On entering Sam’s latest eatery, it is spacious, airy, and open, well laid out with a central bar and an open kitchen allowing diners to part witness some of the magic set to arrive at tables.
The menu is extensive, for my starter course there were a few contenders and after some deliberation I opted for Orkney scallops, wild garlic, chilli and lemon butter. It proved a good choice. They arrive in Scallop shells partly submerged in the melted wild garlic, chilli, and lemon butter. Before tasting the scallops, some bread is ordered to mop up the lemon butter, which proves an essential exercise.
The scallops were beautifully presented, slightly seared with signature tanned lines of colour showing caramelised edges and centres almost translucent. The taste had a soft fleshy texture, mild slightly sweet flavour, complemented by the lemon butter.
Main courses cover an appealing gamut from pasta (Ricotta and truffle ravioli) to meat dishes (Chargrilled pork chop, or Hereford aged ribeye,) and the ‘on-trend’ Waterside Smash Burger. But I opted for a well-judged Roast Wiltshire chicken with confit potato, wild garlic and asparagus – a dish that shows the kitchen’s attention to the new spring season’s accompaniments.
There is a good selection of interesting dessert options but once I noticed rhubarb on the menu I looked no further and ordered ‘Chiswick House Rhubarb & Custard Crème Brulée, Shortbread’. Way before rhubarb came into vogue in so many menus it had always been a favourite of mine. At this point I hesitate, finding words to communicate just how good that dish was isn’t easy. The rhubarb was without any shadow of doubt the best I have ever tasted, crisp and slightly sour, I could have eaten a whole bowl of it on its own. It was served alongside a custard crème brulée that did it justice, it tasted of custard with a lighter texture, the pairing worked perfectly, the crisp shortbread complimented both.
Well done Head Chef Jacob Keen Downs and brigade, the food was simply excellent.
Service was excellent too, attentive, knowledgeable, courteous, and balanced, not fussy, just right. So, congratulations to Restaurant Manager Adam Vines and the front of house team for delivery of the experience.
And for bringing Sam’s Waterside together to be what we experienced the other day, well done to its proprietors, Sam Harrison and Fanny Stocker.
I grew up In Chiswick, and often visit friends who unlike me remained in London W4. We sometimes meet up and go for a bite to eat and a few drinks to catch up or celebrate occasions, in future I may direct some of that socialising slightly further west.
Exclusive to EJ Hales: Hotel Development Site Available, Salt Lake South Porthcawl
