I went back to my old stomping ground last weekend for a good ol' pub knees up at The Sands End in Fulham. Never going that often when I lived as a local after my last few visits I ask myself why...
The Sands End serves up grub as good as any other posh boozer or 'foodie pub' I know, and only now do I wish I lived a little close to pop by regularly. Our meal last night was outstanding for all seven dishes and it's reasonably priced considering the effort that goes into some of these dishes.
The Friday of Bank Holiday meant only one thing... we were all out for a biggy and the Sands End wine list suits that perfectly! The staff at The Sands End are always eager to greet you with a warming smile and genuinely seem happy to work there, they're proud of what they produce and what a breath of fresh air that is!
Looking at the menu it's virtually impossible to choose from some of their classic pies or their consistently delicious fish dishes. However eventually we all settled down and chose pretty well...
My starter was a Scallop ceviche, pea shoots, iberico ham, radishes and lime/lemon emulsion type sauce (sorry totally forgot to photograph the menu for exact reference). Was super fresh and zingy - a lovely dish to be had new we're hitting Spring weather! I did find however it lacked a little something, although the plate being super busy, but still to this day can't think quite what it would be...
.JPG)
A type of ragu ravioli was had by two of the boys around the table and gained resounding 'mmmmm's'
.JPG)
Cauliflower tempura was another, pretty summer dish.
.JPG)
Starters impressed us all however some mains completely stole the show...
Roast haddock with 'nduja risotto, salted almonds, aioli and pecorino was one of those dishes I am still talking about a few weeks later. The fish, cooked perfectly, was delicious however the spicy pork nduja risotto was absolutely plate 'lickably' divine! Miss A and I were rather smug with our choice in food...
Poussin was had by Mr D, no complaints here apart from it could have been a little bigger.
Steak and blue cheese sauce, triple cooked chips was taken by three out of the seven of us and again, plates were squeaky clean! The triple cooked chips were also ordered as an extra side for the table and these are a must have! Fluffy on the inside and a crispy golden outer shell.
Dauphinoise rabbit pie I am informed was as delicious and impressive as it looked, the only negative to come out of this dish was again that 'it could have been slightly bigger' - a compliment at its best, Mr F wanted more!
No room for puds and wanting to continue the party at one of our houses we ended our little pub date on a high. Some superb cooking, innovative dishes and most importantly a fantastic neighbourhood pub. Maybe we shouldn't be moving over the river after all...
Address: 135-137 Stephendale Road, London SW6 2PR
Phone:020 7731 7823
