The Mall Tavern

Myself and my friends went for a birthday to the Mall on Friday night.  We go a lot as the food is awesome and the garden is brill if you can find a spot.  We noticed things were much slower on Friday and other people have said the same.  The staff seemed rushed off their feet.  Our waitress seemed to be working the whole place by herself and although she did an awesome job customers notice when staffing levels are cut.  The other guy was just wandering around aimlessly.  Probably the manager!!  Please sort it out.  We love the Mall.......

catherine's profile     Other reviews by catherine     catherine likes    

The Mall Tavern on the Notting Hill/ Kensington borders is under new management and has a new chef with a rather good pedigree I am led to believe.  It is a gastro pub: half drinking establishment and half dining room.  On a busy Saturday night (as it was on my visit), the two merge a little, as drinkers spill into the dining area and vice versus.

Whilst the gastro pub décor is nothing out of the ordinary; the obligatory antlers hanging on the wall alongside shelves of random glassware, dark wood tables and 70s lampshades abound. The Mall Tavern is going for something a little different on the food front.  Unashamedly British, retro comfort food is the order of the day here and I do have to say it makes for a refreshing change - I was beginning to think I couldn’t face another gourmet sausage and mash chalked onto a blackboard.

Instead we were offered a range of bar snacks including the likes of pork crackling and apple sauce, soused herrings and cup’O soup, followed by mains including cow pie, ploughman’s and pork chop with colcannon and mustard.  We were a little bamboozled by elements of the menu and had to request guidance from the very helpful staff who explained that lamb scrumpet was pieces of lamb cooked and then crumbed and fried.  It came on a tartar sauce base and was delicious; the outside was crispy, the inners tender and the zesty sauce accompanying really set the dish off.  We also tried the Dorset meatballs; these came in a pot with cocktail sticks, and were pork with a lovely hint of fennel.

For our main course, I went for the Chicken Kiev – I had been intrigued by the description of  a ball like Kiev served with the drumstick and accompanied by a hash brown and coleslaw (minus the mayonnaise).  The Kiev itself brought back all kinds of childhood memories, I remember loving the garlic butter oozing out of the exotic seeming crispy chicken but rarely have it now, and I have to say I was not disappointed.  It had been brought squarely into the 21st century by the unusual shape and the accompaniments.  The chicken was perfectly cooked and the creamy garlicky sauce was excellent.  Would have preferred two of those and happily lost the drumstick which added nothing to the dish.  I was pleasantly surprised by the coleslaw which was much lighter that the traditional kind and had a tangy quality that worked with the richness of the Kiev.  My companion had the macaroni cheese with smoked bacon which was a predictable but risky strategy I felt.  Hostage to his West Indian heritage he is no stranger to mac cheese and has very high expectations as a result.  His view was that this was fine, not bad at all but nothing spectacular.  I tasted it and I have to say I liked it, lovely and cheesy, pasta not mushy and the bacon - always a touch of genius, but I think I should really defer to his expertise on this subject!

Puddings – and it is definitely pudding not dessert – just as you would expect, on the menu were crumble and custard, arctic roll and an obligatory chocolate pudding.  We tried the last two of these.  Arctic roll was home made (not from Iceland) and was as you would expect; good vanilla ice cream, soft and light sponge and raspberry jam between.  The chocolate pudding was fondant like, melted in the middle, crispy slightly chewy outsides and served with a choc ice ball (chocolate ice cream surrounded by chocolate proper). An interesting twist on this kind of dessert and executed very well indeed.

I was soundly beaten by the meal, no chance of getting to the last mouthful of pudding – I was totally full and very content – as one should be with this kind of food.  Not ideal for the hottest day of the year so far, should probably keep this one for a wet and windy day when you want some traditional comfort food. Definitely nostalgic but with a foot in 2010,  think again before you head to the same old gastro pub and try something new, give the Mall Tavern a go!

Leandra's profile     Other reviews by Leandra     Leandra likes    

Quietly tucked away in one of Kensington's premier tree-lined streets (just off Kensington Church St/Notting Hill Gate), sits a rather cosy bar/restaurant called The Mall Tavern. I sometimes venture down here for a quiet drink with friends, as it doesn't get too packed on a Friday night despite being quite a small pub. The decor inside is very modern/clean cut, wooden floors/tables/stools. The staff seem friendly enough and the service is good. I don't think it's particularly expensive. I've eaten here a few times, and the food is always good for what you pay.

OPENING TIMES

Bar:
Mon-Fri: 12pm-12am
Sat: 11am-12am
Sun: 12pm-11pm

Restaurant:
Mon-Fri: 12pm-3pm & 7pm-11pm
Sat: 11am-4pm & 7pm-11pm
Sun: 12pm-4pm & 7pm-10.30pm

Menu:

http://www.malltavern.co.uk/menus/main_menu.pdf

Even if you decide not to eat here, this is still a good place to have a few cheeky drinks before heading off to the many restaurants in Notting Hill (I recommend Kensington Place, which is just across the road from The Mall).

Abida's profile     Other reviews by Abida     Abida likes    

Great moderately priced restaurant. I have been here many times and I think this place deserves a rave. It is great food for the area

"Situated behind the chaos of Notting Hill gate The Mall Tavern is worlds away from the craziness that is the artery bringing the hip and trendy to Notting Hill to get a slice of it's fashion, market and, in my case, culinary coolness. You've probably passed The Mall Tavern on more than a few occasions, perhaps on the bus, perhaps on foot, but you probably didn't notice it when it was in it's previous incarnation, a non-descript down and out pub of the same name. "But since Spring this year, The Mall Tavern has quietly been winning the hearts of Notting Hill gastronomic experts and local alike. And it's easy to see why. The menu is simple, non-fussy cuisine that's quite simply luscious. It's the third project by the people behind the equally fabulous William IV on Harrow Road, and the wonderful El Parador in Camden. These people sure know how to throw together a bar/restaurant. Now, the venue is a light and airy space with a restaurant on one side and pub space on the other, and a delightful garden space at the back. "I visited the restaurant recently and was more than impressed with the well-presented food that manages to strike that perfect balance between upmarket gastro-pub influenced grub and full-blown restaurant dishes. That perfect balance being reasonable prices for excellent food. To start, on good advice of my insider, I choose the Potage Solfarino, a tomato-based soup made with potato and leek. "Apparently this was the chef's family recipe and, sure enough, tasted like something of the hearty and flavoursome quality produced from a grandmother's kitchen. I had been eyeing with glee the chicken liver parfait with cornichons and chutney, so bribed my dining companions with a promise of soup to trade tastes of the smooth parfait. Delicious. And a good generous portion too, for �4.50. "From the mains, we collectively choose the crispy duck confit (melt-in-the-mouth), braised red cabbage and garlic roast potatoes, caramelised scallops, roast tomatoes, lardon and basil beurre noisette (I patted myself on the back for this choice) and char grilled sirloin steak, mash and red wine sauce, (a little overcooked). The mash, however, was the stuff of dreams, and apparently this chef has mastered the science of creating the perfect mash; not lumpy, and just the right creamy consistency. The price of the mains range between �8.50 and �14.50, but they also have an assorted meze plate for �5.50 which is apparently extremely good value. The wine list has a good selection of new and old world wines, with nothing priced over �25.It was hard to resist the dessert menu, and although I was full to bursting managed to fit in a gorgeously moist summer pudding, a taste of deliciously warm chocolate hazelnut pudding. If you don't fancy a full blown meal and feel like just a snack, I can thoroughly recommend the cheeseboard as it had enough well-chosen cheeses on it to feed a small army. "The verdict? Great value for money, generous portions and a carefully constructed menu which will have something for everyone. They change the menu daily, and also have a great value set menu for �9 for two courses and �12 for three courses. Watch this space for the rise of this restaurant as a Notting Hill/Kensington favourite!"