You may not have heard of the brothers Tom and Ed Martin, but you’ve almost certainly been to one of their venues, which are conquering London at an almost frightening rate. From the ever-popular Botanist on Sloane Square to the excellent Docklands establishment The Gun, they have a group of extremely upmarket establishments, pitched somewhere between gastropubs and restaurants, which offer superb food, well-chosen wine lists, friendly and accommodating staff and quirky touches that elevate them far above the norm.
The Cadogan Arms, situated on the Fulham side of the King’s Road, is no exception to this tradition. Formerly the sort of down-at-heel pub that the sane would avoid before venturing into, it’s been given a sympathetic and fun makeover to give it a sort of ‘urban rustic’ feel, complete with stuffed animal heads on the wall, a large open fireplace in the dining room and cosy wood panelling. If you’re after something more alternative, upstairs boasts the Billiards Room, where there are American 8 ball pool tables, and for a reasonable cost one can have a drink, some nibbles and play pool.
The downstairs dining room is where the culinary action is, and on our recent visit it was firing on all cylinders. We popped in on an especially wet and stormy Sunday for lunch, but thankfully we were soon pepped up by a couple of excellent glasses of Prosecco, and delicately presented starters of scallops with sweetcorn puree and a half pint of prawns. My guest was initially hesitant about whether a half pint would be enough, but the enormous main courses – leg of lamb for me, rib of beef for her – soon changed her mind. Off the top of my head, I can’t remember having a bigger roast, complete with all the trimmings, and even my hearty appetite was defeated. The quality of everything was, as you’d expect, exemplary. An excellent bottle of 2008 Patagonian Malbec complimented both dishes beautifully.
Atypically, the thought of dessert terrified rather than excited me, but needs must, and I was very pleased that my white peach and passion fruit sorbet was both delicious and, thankfully, light. My guest’s lemon posset looked heavenly, but I felt that it would be too much of a good thing to sample any. And so, sated, we eventually rolled out into the afternoon. The sun was shining, at last, and before I began a lengthy trek home to walk off my lunch, I felt able to say, with confidence, ‘That was really very good indeed.’
And so it is.
298 King’s Road, SW3. www.thecadoganarmschelsea.com
