Harwood Arms, Fulham

The epitome of British culture is a roast dinner - and that is a hill I will quite happily die on. But when I think roast dinners, I didn’t necessarily think Michelin star - until now. 

The Harwood Arms, located in leafy Fulham, is the only Michelin-starred pub in London with a real focus on local produce, and a speciality in game and wild food. 

We’d become keen to head to The Harwood Arms after seeing Sally Abe on Great British Menu, and literally drooling at everything she did. And in fact, I won’t lie that part of my drive was to support a female-led kitchen. It is a well-known fact that women are still underrepresented in professional kitchens across the world, and as proclaimed in her insta page - Sally is “championing and empowering women in hospitality” - which I have A LOT of time for. 

We arrived at The Harwood Arms on a sunny Sunday, and from the moment we were seated we were looked after impeccably. As it’s now a given to mention, their covid measures were watertight and I felt both safe but almost like it was “normal”, something I’ve desperately wanted to feel since moving back to London in August after a 6-month stint out of the city. 

We were offered a complimentary glass of champagne, which was well received, as they’d only recently opened. A nice touch. 

Despite looking at the menu once a day for about three weeks, I was still unsure on what to have. I was torn between the crab royale, sweetcorn and berkswell tart and the pretty infamous Venison tartare. One of the members of the team, also known as the friendliest person with a great accent, tried to advise but conceded that they were all, in fact, delicious. Eventually, I settled on the Sweetcorn and Berkswell tart with pickled girolles and lemon thyme and my partner the Cornish crab royale with courgette and basil, on the condition I could eat some too.

In the meantime, we ordered a bottle of wine - 2015 Chardonnay, Sausaler Schlössl, Wohlmuth, Styria, Austria - and again, with a great wine list, it was no easy feat. As someone who enjoys wine, but is by no means - not even close - a connoisseur, I’ve sometimes found Michelin starred restaurant wine lists to be almost daunting but we were given a menu which was their selection, and could request the further wine list if we wish. 

It was a great bottle - elegant, juicy and sweet - and for a sunny day with a heavy dinner, it was a really lovely wine to drink. In fact, I’ve spent a considerable amount of time as of late trying to work out where I can purchase from in the UK...not that easy it seems, I’m sad to report.

Our starters arrived promptly; and they didn’t disappoint. The sweetcorn and berkwell tart was fresh, full of flavour and the perfect pairing of every flavour. I’d be quite content eating the entire tart - if I was allowed. The crab royale was also a real testament to the skill in the kitchen; the perfect blending of each flavour to create a truly enjoyable dish. 

For our mains, we’d ordered braised shoulder of Aynhoe Park roe deer for two to share - despite the temptation of the beef and, well, everything else, as The Harwood Arms specialises in game we wanted to try this.

Again, my misconception led me to believe that the portions would be small, and I couldn’t have been more wrong. The portions at The Harwood Arms are generous - massively so - and I challenge anyone to come away feeling hungry. The portion of meat was enough to feed two comfortably - and some. It was also perfectly seasoned and cooked, tearing off the bone and just tasting truly delicious. The roast comes with plenty of roast potatoes (always a worry of mine that it’ll only come with two each), fresh veg (we had carrots, parsnips and cabbage), cauliflower cheese (oh-my-god, it’s f£%$ing good), a beautifully flavourful gravy and, of course, Yorkshire puddings.

It is, hands down, the best roast dinner I’ve ever had out. An assault on all of the senses - in the best possible way. 

We’d fully planned to have three courses - but we’d conceded after three. Next time, I’d definitely go on an empty stomach so I could manage three because the Pear and Caramel trifle was calling my name. 

I cannot, and I mean cannot, stress this enough - you must go. If you love a roast dinner, or homely cooking, it’s perfect because it does that but goes that bit further that pushes it into the territory of incredible. The food, the service and the interiors are all impeccable, a total delight to visit and I can’t wait to go back.

So how much does it cost? It’s really quite reasonable for the amount of food you get; it is a set-priced menu priced at £37.50 for two courses and £49.95 for three courses. In terms of wine, the bottle we opted for sat at £60 but there’s a range of wines from £27ish upwards to a lot more so you won’t be stuck for choice. 

https://harwoodarms.com/ 

Walham Grove, Fulham, London SW6 1QP

+44 (0)20 7386 1847

info@harwoodarms.com