The Dysart Petersham
Richmond, London
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Emphatically a serious restaurant rather than a local dining pub, this ornate, double-fronted Arts and Crafts building by the gates of Richmond Park has a great deal going for it. Outside, the carefully nurtured south-facing garden is a year-round wonder to behold, but the whole place has been preserved and improved with consummate care and dedication – from the richly carved gables, high ceilings and intricate leaded windows to the imposing Victorian Gothic bar (refashioned from oaken church pews). There’s even a resident Bechstein grand piano for monthly recitals. The overall effect is striking but unfussy. In the kitchen, former Roux scholar Kenneth Culhane rises to the occasion, creating ‘beautifully plated’ contemporary food to match the impeccably turned-out surroundings. His cooking has a strong French undercurrent but also an affection for the flavours of the Far East: green chilli and kaffir lime sauce pointing up a dish of steamed cod and green turnips, for example. At the heart of things is a dedication to British produce, not just familiar names such as St Bride’s chicken (served with celery, leeks and Périgueux sauce) but also rare Shh’annu lamb – bred on one farm in Scotland and given earthy treatment with ham-braised Puy lentils. Finely crafted desserts veer towards the classics – Early Grey crème brûlée, Yorkshire rhubarb with spiced yoghurt sorbet, say. Meanwhile, ‘really friendly, professional staff’ ensure that everyone has a ‘thoroughly lovely’ time – no doubt buoyed by carefully chosen wines from the expansive metropolitan list.
