Nutbourne, Battersea: Clever cooking in a country setting, right here in London

A family business in the truest sense of the phrase, The Nutbourne is the third opening from brothers Richard, Oliver and Gregory Gladwin, who also own The Shed in Notting Hill and follow-up Rabbit in Chelsea.

The trio have a symbiotic, sustainable and rather convenient thing going on. Richard, the oldest of the three, takes care of the business operations and front-of-house, the middle brother Oliver is a chef and leads in the kitchens, and youngest brother Gregory runs a farm in West Sussex which provides much of the restaurant’s produce. A family vineyard also supplies most of the house tipples.

In many respects, The Nutbourne sticks to the tried and tested formula of its predecessors — serving clever but relatively simple combinations of seasonal British ingredients, with a particular focus on both small and large plates designed for sharing.

But in other ways it is a brave new move. Not only has it has crossed the river — a seemingly bold venture many restaurateurs never take — but it has also left behind the popular going out spots of Notting Hill and the King’s Road in favour of a neighbourhood location with relatively poor connections to the rest of the capital.

The site it occupies has enjoyed mixed fortunes. While Ransome’s Dock made the space its own for over two decades, its successor Source, a very good farm-to-table site run by a husband and wife team, sadly managed just over two years.

It’s quite the site, though. As well as a large, sprawling dining space that offers numerous nooks and crannies — destined to become requested tables by regulars — it boasts an outdoor terrace and its own artesian well. It has the feeling of a forward-thinking country pub rather than a London restaurant. All the more so for the abundance of dogs who accompany their owners to dinner.

You’d be lucky to find food like this in a country pub, though. Grouse presented on a hot salt rock — providing both sizzle and saltiness — has an intensely gamey flavour offset by delicate thyme and buttery cheddar-laced bread crumbs. Scallops, which come with vibrant sorrel and earthy ‘mushroom Marmite’ — thus-far still available post-Brexit — are plump and perfectly cooked, with bountiful sacks of roe. And a rather clever ‘carbonara’ made with spiralized potato in place of spaghetti is packed with smoky bacon flavour.

Larger plates are less intricate and innovative, but impeccably cooked. Monkfish cheeks are both meaty and moist while a Sussex beef fillet is deeply flavoured and expertly cooked, picking up extra flavour from the wood grill. For larger groups the pièce de résistance are grilled T-bone steaks which serve around four people a pop.

For pudding, a cross between a cheesecake and a trifle — also not far removed from a tiramisu — comes with a meadowsweet-steeped sponge, rounding off an experience that’s clever and creative with a twist of countryside.

And no, it’s not the easiest place in London to get to if you're not a local, but it’s a damn site simpler than actually going and leaving the M25.

Final flavour: Clever cooking in a country setting, right here in London.

At what cost? Starters range from £8 to £14.50, and mains from £11.50 to £22.

Visit if you like: The Shed or Rabbit, Brawn, Hix Soho.

Visit standard.co.uk/restaurants for the latest news and reviews from London’s food scene.

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