Full Marks (almost): The Markham Inn

It's not often that I find the time to explore the chic warren of streets between the King's Road and South Kensington. But one afternoon, drawn down a typically quirky, quiant and beautiful Cheslea side road (you know the kind, traditional terraces, at once smart and unmistakably Chelsea, yet painted in array of canydbox colours) that I discovered the Markham Inn, sleek in appearance yet also traditional, positioned opposite Geales restaurant and next to a little green framed in Boris bikes, I noticed the Markham Inn, Elystan Place.

On that occasion I just dropped in for a cocktail, impressed by the sleek black-painted exterior, sophisticated black and red brasserie style interior amd the large central bar. My passionfruit, vanilla and champagne cocktail hit enough buttons to entice me back for dinner a week or so later.

If the design is sophisticated take on the traditional gastro-brasserie, the food veers more squarely towards the traditional. Visiting in the evening, the restaurant area is lit almost exclusively by candlelight, adding an element of glamour that perhaps raises expectations that the food might be more sophisticated than it was. Nonetheless, the classic dishes such as lamb chops with green beans, sirloin steak with bearnaise sauce and traditional fries, croque monsieur and salad or crab on toast make up in quality what they may lack in imagination. The prices too are reasonable enough to make this a valuable neighbourhood restaurant - just one that you might feel like dressing up for, and quaffing a little champagne at!

The croque monsieur was exceedingly large for a starter (it came with chips and salad) but managed to avoid being oily yet tasted rich and satisfying (this would be a great lunch option). On the other hand, my crab on toast was just the right size, rich, creamy yet also fluffy - just how I like it.

Equally, my sirloin steak was cooked to perfection, and the accompanying fries had a crispy outer with just the right amount of salt (warning - I like things fairly salty!). The boy indulged in the lamb chops with green beans and a light gravy. I don't think it knocked his socks off but the meat was well cooked, the gravy the right consistency and the green beans were just on the right side of the crunchy/soggy divide.

Rounded off with a decent bottle of Crozes Hermitages, we felt this was a very pleasant way to spend a Friday evening. There's a lovely ambience, a little bit of casual glamour and elegance, the food is well prepared, hearty and familiar (if not revolutionary) and the prices are pretty decent. Well worth an outing with the girls or a weekend date night with a loved one.

The Markham Inn
2 Elystan Street, London SW3 3NS

PS excuse the pictures - it WAS quite dark!

Made in Italy, Eating in Fulham

Fulham is not short of Italian restaurants, sadly though the market for our price range is dominated by chains and in these recessionary times half prize vouchers seem to win over authenticity. However, there are a few diamonds in the rough when it comes to quality Italian dining and last week I discovered another, Made in Italy  in Fulham Broadway. I had visited the sister restaurants on the Kings Road and Hollywood Road a while ago and was always impressed by the creaminess of the mozzarella and freshness of the tomatoes, however for some (snobbish) reason I had never tried the Fulham Broadway branch. Squished on the slightly grotty strip that is home to Elk bar and a spattering of hair dressers and take away shops, this hidden gem is unassuming in its location. However, as I soon discovered, what it lacks in presence it makes up for in quality, service and atmosphere.
                                                       
The restaurant has a homely Italian kitchen feel with the pizza oven taking centre stage at the entrance; do not be put off by the small door way, once inside the space opens out into a buzzing, higgildy piggidly assembly of tables on various levels. We opted for a raised table for two by the pizza oven and were greeted with Italian warmth and cheer by one of the charming waiters. Made in Italy is a small, family owned company that prides itself on their Italian ‘philosophy’ and way of living. Sadly, thanks to the grey London drizzle and 12 tube stop commute back from work it was a difficult to relax into the ‘Amalfi Coast’ atmosphere immediately but after a glass of prosecco we began to unwind.
                                                        
Inspired by Jess’s summer trip to Italy I decided to go all out and ordered the sharing platter to start, it arrived groaning with cured meats, mozzarella, prosciutto and garlic roasted vegetables. The quality of the ingredients was evident and the friendliness of the service faultless, their enthusiasm knew no bounds and it became infectious, stress? What stress!

                         

The diet dissolved as quickly as the sharing platter and we soon were tucking into our main courses, Rigatoni with homemade meatballs and cherry tomatoes for me and Paccheri with button mushrooms and truffle oil for my friend. Both dishes were flavoursome, extremely satisfying and not astronomically priced, all the pasta dishes are around the £10 mark which is brilliant value considering the generous portion size and ingredients used. The bill totalled £60 which included two courses, a glass of prosecco, olives and a bottle of white wine making the whole evening fantastic value for money, even more so compared to competitor chains in Fulham which have a shaving of the atmosphere and authenticity.

King of the Beach

Most fulhamites of mine and Jess’s generation will remember ‘Finch’s’ on the famous ‘Beach’ strip of the Fulham Road. The scene of many a post A level drinking session this pub was the place to be. On a weekly basis it acted as the warm up venue before the frenzy of teenage hormones took place at Purple. Sadly times have changed, Purple no longer exists and full time employment has stolen the appeal of drinking cheap white wine on a Monday night during the Easter holidays (obviously after we turned 18, ahem).

Luckily for our older, wiser and more sophisticated selves, The Kings Arms, part of the Geronimo Inns group, has now moved in to target the posher pub crowd. I attended the launch party last week keen to see another reincarnation of this local listed landmark and was pleased to witness the place buzzing again like the glory student days. Whilst the crowd has changed, the room itself is recognisable as its old self; the beautiful tiled wall remains but the bar has been funked up with bright turquoise lamp shades, a mural covering one wall a lick of paint.  

The food menu serves a range of retro British classics including Toad in the Hole and Fish and Chips, this is apparently in keeping with Geronimo Inns’ traditional approach, ‘to create affordable food that is simply constructed and effectively delivered’ which I’ve interpreted as posh pub grub! The room was heaving and we could barely breathe for pretty young chelsea girls and groups of friends soaking up the sociable atmosphere, a sure sign of good things to come for Geronimo. This would be the perfect Sunday lunch pub and great for a group of friends, I’m yet to make judgement on the food as due to the popularity of the launch we were less successful than hoped at devouring the canapés!

http://www.kingsarmschelsea.com/
190 Fulham Rd
London SW10 9PN