I was very excited to be invited over to the newly refurbished Brown Cow in Fulham Road to check out their seasonal menu and sample a beer from their own Butcombe Brewing Co, writes Michael Holland.
Almost equidistant between Fulham’s Craven Cottage and Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge football grounds I guessed this pub favoured Chelsea because Sebastiano, the maître d’, was an absolute ringer for Chelsea FC legend Frank Lampard with his easy smile and athletic build.
It wasn’t long before we were seated at a window table affording great people-watching views of Fulham Road, with menus and cold drinks. With a large bottle of sparkling water and a Butcombe Tall Tales Pale Ale we checked out the fare on offer and the array of hounds in this dog-friendly pub.
Our 2.30 booking found us at the tail end of the Sunday Lunch rush, which meant a couple of items were not available but none that would worry us.
An excellent set of starters had us ordering three that we could share between us: Gordal Olives, Za’atar Crusted Halloumi and Grilled Summer Courgettes, a truly wonderful trinity of small plates. The olives were perfectly marinated in garlic and chilli giving just enough kick to balance out the mildness of the courgettes, a dish that included a vegan cheese that we would not have guessed was not dairy unless our server had told us.
Having halloumi in a crust created from herbs and spices was novel and came with a selection of the best of what is ready to pick right now: radish, peas and beetroot all lovingly oiled and seasoned.
I moved on to a glass of rich and fruity albarino from Spain, ideal for the gorgeous weather and for accompanying the pork roast I was looking forward to. It was difficult to choose a wine from such an excellent choice but I knew this would be good.
My lunch companion was fortunate enough to get the last Whole Seabass from the Specials Board that she paired with a huge side dish of cauliflower cheese in a thyme crumb. ‘Cooked to perfection,’ she remarked on both.
My lunch very much looked the part, everything was there to make it just right: crispy crackling, good roast potatoes, a meaty stuffing, Yorkshire Pudding and excellent vegetables, but it was the gravy that stood out for me, a red wine jus that was also sweet and fruity. Quite amazing. Plus, of course, a decent chunk of pork that all the other particulars were built around.
After that feast of plenty I was officially done in and took myself out of the third course, leaving the desserts to Nina, who had purposely left room for Grilled Peaches with honey, thyme, cream, amaretti and raspberries. I’m not sure if anything could get more summery than that bowl of deliciousness.
I ordered a pudding cocktail instead and was pleasantly surprised at how good the Chocolate Old Fashioned was; far better than I expected when the chocolate bitters lifted the classic drink up and out from its usual warming delights. A triumph!
And I needed that touch of Dutch Courage because I had to fight for a taste of the grilled peach across the table! She did not want to part with any at all but eventually succumbed to my charms.
The Brown Cow has everything you require from a pub: 2 for 1 cocktails, quiz nights, loyalty discounts almost every day… But most importantly of all it serves up good food and drink.
Check out their website: https://butcombe.com/the-brown-cow-pub-fulham/
The Brown Cow, 676 Fulham Rd, Fulham, London SW6 5SA.
Two people with drinks: £120
