By contributor Mathew Lea.
The Only Running Footman is a gastropub and restaurant based in Mayfair and close to Berkeley Square gardens. From the outside The Only Running Footman certainly looks like your typical London pub, and true to form was suitably crowded with office types out for post work drinks, however the upstairs restaurant provides a relaxed and friendly environment for diners.
The menu offers a good mix of food, ranging from traditional British to Thai. You may be thinking ‘this sounds like your average pub grub’ and you would be right, however the quality of the food was much better than what you would normally expect. This probably explains why a lot of the diners appeared to be business people out for meetings and entertaining clients.
Scallops, Butternut Squash Puree, Black Pudding
and Buttered Sage
For my starter I had the Seared Diver Caught Scallops, Butternut Squash Puree, Black Pudding and Buttered Sage. The scallops were cooked to perfection, with the black pudding and butternut squash puree complimenting them brilliantly and the deep fried sage adding a delicious salty crunch to the dish. The only thing which let things slightly down was finding some grit in one of the scallops.
My main course was the Chargrilled Côte De Boeuf (medium rare), Dauphinoise Potatoes, Cherry Tomatoes, Watercress & Lamb Lettuce Salad with Roasting Jus. Personally, I much prefer a chargrilled steak to fried, so in this case the beef was right up my street. It was cooked perfectly and had some good caramelisation on the outside, resulting in a great chargrilled flavour. The dauphinoise potatoes were a bit drier than I had expected, although they tasted creamy with a pleasant hint of nutmeg coming through. The accompanying tomatoes and salad were nothing to shout out about, but then I was too busy devouring my way through the steak and potatoes to really care.
Cheese and Fruits
To finish things off I had the selection of Artisanal British & French Cheeses, Pear Chutney & Pain aux Fruits le Notre, which tasted great and finished the evening off well.
Bouillabaisse, Venison Carpaccio & Treacle Tart
For his starter my friend had the Venison Carpaccio with Horseradish & Roasted Walnut Cream which went down well. Their main course was the rich and flavourful Footman Bouillabaisse with Saffron Aioli and Sourdough before finishing up with the Treacle Tart which was special of the day.
Overall, The Only Running Footman provided a delicious, if not slightly business orientated, dining experience.
Starters are from £6.25, mains from £13.5 and desserts from £6.25.
Food I Fancy dined as a guest.
The Only Running Footman
5 Charles Street
Mayfair
London, W1J 5DF
Tel: 020 7499 2988
