Brentford is home to one of London’s most exciting new restaurants – Sam’s Waterside
Sam Harrison knows a thing or two about neighbourhood restaurants; this popular, passionate restauranteur has been creating much loved dining destinations across west London for decades. His current hangouts include the elegant Sam’s Riverside which overlooks the river by Hammersmith Bridge, as well as several popular cafés and ‘larders’ nearby.
The latest addition to Sam’s culinary portfolio can be found in one of London’s of most up-and-coming neighbourhoods; Brentford. Property development giants Ballymore are busy transforming the area by creating an entirely new residential quarter. ‘The Brentford Project’, as it is known, is already home to a handful of brilliant businesses and there’s more to come, as well as an array of shops, a cinema, and more.
First impressions
It’s rare to find a restaurant within a new build that manages to offer a sense of intimacy and character, but Sam’s Waterside manages it from the off. As one of the very first businesses to move into the development, it’s got prime position right on the canal and has a lovely outdoor terrace that I suspect will be the place to be this spring/summer.
Much like Sam’s Riverside, his Brentford interiors have been beautifully designed. The space is modern and glamorous; floors are covered in pleasing tiles and there’s a gorgeous island bar with a sleek marble top, vintage chrome lamps and bright orange stools.
The look and feel
The dining room beyond is a mixture of comfortable booths and tables all drenched in natural light; there’s a busy open kitchen cleverly framed by antique glass that twinkles subtly; leafy trees are wrapped in fairy lights, and there are stylish dried flower arrangements dotted around.
The room is wrapped entirely by two large windows; one overlooking the canal (part building site currently) and the other perfectly framing more canal and a wall of greenery. It’s incredibly well-lit thanks to chic, art deco-esque fixtures and an impressive recessed ceiling that softly glows.
In short, it’s a really lovely space to be in. It’s light and airy but also cosy and intimate, deeply elegant whilst being comfortably laid back – just the kind of environment that Sam is so good at creating.
The food
The modern British menu reflects the well-balanced ambience; you can keep things casual with a Waterside burger, served with house sauce, American cheese, and chips, or push the boat out with fresh British seafood and Hereford aged ribeye. Whichever you chose, the produce used in the kitchen is seasonal and locally sourced from nearby and/or around the UK, with an emphasis on small artisan suppliers.
The Parmesan churros are an absolute must. One of London’s finest bar snacks, these soft, squishy, warm, salty batons of savoury doughnut come covered in a generous flurry of grated Parmesan and make the perfect match for a glass of chilled fizz. There’s a good selection of bubbles on offer - I went for a South African sparkling (Black Elephant Vintners MCC Chardonnay Zero Dosage N.V.) which really hit the spot, especially at £9.50 a glass.
The bite-sized crab toast – piles of lime-spiked white Portland crab meat on of top thick slices of crisp, squishy carbohydrate - were also absolutely delicious, as were the fresh Carlingford Lough oysters, which came with two flavour-filled mignonettes.
1 of 4
2 of 4
3 of 4
4 of 4
The ceviche starter was a fresh and uplifting blitz of chilli, lime, and coriander, combined with small chunks of creamy avocado and soft, perfectly cured fish, topped with sweet potato crisps for earthy sweetness and texture. The moules marinière were equally delicious – the marinière sauce one of the best I’ve had in a long time and the mussels were plump and plentiful.
I had more bream for my main – this time a perfectly cooked fillet, sat on top of soft pieces of Jerusalem artichoke and new potato swimming in a silky, salty, wakame and smoked butter sauce. It was a deeply satisfying, well-balanced dish and I enjoyed every mouthful.
The ricotta and truffle ravioli was another delicious demonstration of both skill and flavour, and I have to mention the radicchio and endive side salad because it was just so crisp and flavoursome and fresh.
Dessert
The pudding menu presents all sorts of difficult decisions, but the deeply comforting apple pie for two was an uncomplicated joy. It arrived at the table piping hot and filled with chunks of sweet apple (from the nearby gardens at Chiswick House), covered in a thick golden-brown pastry, and topped with a ball of proper vanilla ice cream, which slowly melted into it. It was sublime.
I spied plenty of very good-looking cocktails being mixed and muddled behind the bar, and the wine list offered excellent choice too, all handpicked by Sam. A bottle of house white - a zippy French Grenache - will set you back a sensible £28, or £4.75 for a 125ml glass.
Of course, if you want to splash out you can, but no more than around the £85 mark. I settled somewhere in the middle and had a delicious lightly oaked South African Chardonnay (‘Lesca’ De Wetshof Estate 2022, £45), which fuelled me all the way back to Barnes on foot along the tow path.
Final thoughts
Sam’s Waterside hits all the right notes – in terms of quality, price, ambience, and more. It feels special enough for a special occasion but works equally well for a casual midweek lunch (especially thanks to the incredibly good value TW8 set lunch / early dinner menu - £23.50 for two courses, £28.50 for three).
Despite its aesthetic elegance, the restaurant has all the warmth of a welcoming neighbourhood spot. This is thanks, in part, to the friendly team, but it is also the product of Sam himself’s expertise, passion, and deep sense of care and attention to detail.
The unique canal-side setting of this latest opening is also great fun – the surrounding development may still be a work in progress but it’s fascinating to see and there’s a buzz about the place that makes you feel pleased to be one of the first to discover it. I, for one, am excited to watch it all unfold, from the comfort of Sam’s sunny terrace of course, with a glass of South African sparkling in hand, and perhaps just a few of those Parmesan churros…
Open now at 3 Kingham Avenue, Brentford, TW8 8GP. Book online at samswaterside.co.uk.
