The Establishment
Above: The Establishment
The Establishment has gone down a storm in Parsons Green. With a great location right opposite the tube station, it draws a lively crowd of young professionals, who no doubt love its retro decor. Designed to evoke ‘comforting childhood memories of classic British police dramas’ it is done out in chocolate and cream, with swirly 70s wallpaper and banquette seats modelled on the classic Ford Cortina. All very striking, but perhaps a bit too funky for the pub environment.
We certainly felt the look was more posey cocktail bar than cosy local, but charming staff put customers at ease, there’s a convivial buzz about the place and plenty to distract from the decor.
The drinks list is clearly not an afterthought, as this well-designed document offers tempting selections of anything from cocktails, beers and cider to premium spirits and fruit juice and carries a particularly impressive collection of gin.
Even better is the wine list, which arranges wines by style and comes with a by-the-glass selection that extends well beyond your usual house varieties. It also offers ‘wine flights’ – three variations on a theme, such as Aromatic Whites or Sauvignons from Around the World.
The kitchen doesn’t let the side down either. Overseen by Karl MacEwan (formerly of the Michelin-starred Glasshouse at Kew), it serves a gutsy yet refined repertoire of largely home-grown dishes. Our favourite was the perfectly cooked scallops with peas and Jerusalem artichoke purée but we also loved our dainty jar of foie gras and sherry parfait and daringly rare venison loin with spiced red cabbage and celeriac gratin. If cop-show surrounds are what you have to put up with to enjoy cooking like this, we’re happy to eat in The Sweeney – or, indeed, The Establishment – any day.
by Annica Wainwright, an editor at Square Meal
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