Dinner at SK
Sophie Farrah goes for ‘Dinner at SK’ – the latest dining concept from local restauranteur Sam Harrison...
1 of 3
2 of 3
3 of 3
First impressions
There seems to be no stopping Sam Harrison. The local restauranteur now owns a fleet of successful (and incredibly good) restaurants across west London, including Sam’s Riverside on the Thames near Hammersmith Bridge and the equally glamourous Sam’s Waterside in Brentford.
His latest opening is Sam’s Kitchen, a causal daytime spot on Turnham Green Terrace, which does a belter of a brunch - think cinnamon French toast berry compote with whipped mascarpone and bacon and egg brioche buns oozing with Emmental and sriracha mayo.
It is here that Sam has launched a new fine dining concept – Dinner at SK, which sees a weekly changing tasting menu of seasonal dishes and top-notch ingredients served up every Thursday - Saturday evening.
Visiting on a Friday night, there wasn’t an empty table.
Crossing the threshold, it felt immediately inviting and buzzy – the perfect intimate neighbourhood hangout. A smiling Sam and his wonderfully welcoming GM, Monica, darted around with menus and drinks in hand, tending to couples and groups of friends, all happily chatting away, visibly relaxed.
Candles flickered; glasses clinked. I sunk into a banquette seat beneath some colourful artwork, and happily settled in for the evening.
1 of 6
2 of 6
3 of 6
4 of 6
5 of 6
6 of 6
The menu
Harrison excels at creating beautiful neighbourhood restaurants that feel special and serve excellent food, but the overall experience is always one that is relaxed and friendly.
Dinner at SK is much the same. Key to this is head chef, Abbie Hendren. An ambitious and passionate cook, Abbie has been at the forefront of Sam’s Kitchen since taking over the reins earlier this year, helping to quickly establish it as one of the very the best breakfast and brunch spots in London.
This new dinner offering is an opportunity for Hendren to fully flex her culinary muscles, first honed at institutions such as The Petersham, La Trompette and the legendary L’Enclume.
1 of 5
2 of 5
3 of 5
4 of 5
5 of 5
My favourite thing about the Dinner at SK menu is that no choices need to be made.
There are simply three predetermined courses (veggie options available). Overwhelmed by hundreds of decisions every day, this feels like the greatest luxury; to simply sit back, relax, and be brought plates of delicious food, without even having to think about it.
It’s also a great arrangement when catching up with friends, as no time is wasted perusing the menu, and everyone knows where they stand in terms of the bill.
Speaking of which, Dinner at SK is priced at £55 per head for three generous, carefully crafted courses made with top-quality ingredients such as Portland crab, Scottish Steelhead trout, Windsor Estate venison, Cornish sole, aged Hereford beef, and more. Yum.
The experience
Tempted as I was by the two seasonal cocktails on offer, I couldn’t resist a chilled glass of Gusbourne’s zippy English sparkling. Two lovely warm and fluffy malt loaves made a surprise appearance next – along with a generous quenelle of smooth salted butter made with herbs from the gardens at nearby Chiswick House. A delicious touch.
On the night I visited, the menu was a clever combination of creative meets comforting.
The starter – a beautifully seared scallop sat in a silky beurre blanc gently laced with saffron, topped with crisp slices of spicy chorizo and a smattering of salty sea herbs - was packed with both flavour and finesse.
The meaty main was a mouth-watering Devonshire chicken breast with glazed chicken wing, Scottish girolles, braised leeks, fondant potato and roasting juices.
I, however, opted for unbridled decadence in the form of an outrageously creamy Vacherin Mont d’Or soufflé, with plenty of potent black truffle, buttery-sweet confit white onion, and dressed winter leaves to cut through the richness. I relished every single deeply satisfying mouthful.
The succinct wine list (chosen by Sam) suits all budgets, spanning from good house wines to excellent pairings and a few special cellar options too. The wine pairing – a very reasonable 30pp - was enjoyable, delicious, and once again involved little-to-no decision making.
Pudding was another triumph filled with skill, flavour and hugely pleasing texture. A generous bowl of set muscovado custard arrived: super thick, creamy and ever so caramelly.
Sweet but not overly so, it had a malty almost dark treacle quality to it, freshened up by glistening, crunchy slices of caramelised banana and a scoop of velvety smooth hazelnut ice cream. It was unforgettably good and garnered several satisfied ‘mmmmm’s across the restaurant.
What we liked...
Chef Abbie’s incredibly delicious food feels sophisticated and confident but not overly complicated. There’s no unnecessary fuss, just plenty of flavour and feel-good recipes that let allow the top-level ingredients to really shine.
What we didn't...
Whilst I found not having to make any decisions incredibly refreshing and relaxing, the lack of choice may not suit fussy eaters, but if you can put your trust in Sam and Abbie, you won’t regret it.
Final thoughts
Thoughtfully curated, Dinner at SK feels like going to a friend’s (incredibly chic) home for dinner, where the friend just so happens to be a fantastic cook. It’s a relaxed dining experience of the upmost quality.
The bill, please
- Drinks – glass of Gusbourne £11.50, wine pairing £30pp.
- Food - £55pp for 3 courses, plus service.
Book in advance online at samskitchenw6.co.uk/dinner-at-sk. Sam's Kitchen, 59-61 Turnham Green Terrace, Chiswick, W4 1RP
