Nestled on the Chiswick High Road, discreetly, is potentially one of the best restaurants in London. Sure, you may have to travel a little while to get there, but the pristine streets of Chiswick are worth a visit, particularly when culminated with a visit to Silver Birch.
Chef Nathan Cornwell is at the helm of the kitchen. Before Silver Birch, he spent four years at The Barn at Moor Hall, a stunning countryside establishment. Before his time here, he worked in kitchens that boast several Michelin stars. This precision cooking is evident in his creations, which pop with seasonal freshness and are almost too beautiful to eat. Almost…
Expect the menu to switch and change by the time you visit after reading this, as the key to the menu is seasonal and local ingredients of the finest calibre, celebrating the best of British ingredients. You will naturally find a menu that changes with the seasons.
We kicked off with cocktails and both went for a Blood Orange & Rosemary Martini. The complexity of the blood orange and Campari taste blended perfectly with the fragrant rosemary, it was a perfect ‘going-into-spring’ drink to start the meal.
Two tasting menu options or an A La Carte offer delectable snippets from the diverse, innovative, and impressive menu. We decided to try the A La Carte, but were treated to some extra dishes from the menu including a fresh Cured Sea Bream, accompanied by Pig’s Head served on a herb cracker – both delicious. We also had the famous Sourdough Focaccia served with wild garlic velouté, salt cod mousse, and puffed rice.
To start, I decided to branch out and try eel for the first time. The dish, Devon Smoked Eel, pickled leek, and chive served with Oscietra caviar, changed my mind completely about caviar. I’m usually not the biggest fan, but the ingredients were so perfectly balanced, and the eel had such a smoky flavour, that the caviar pops were an exciting addition to the dish.
For mains, we went for the Shetland Cod with crispy wings, Hen of the Woods, and cavolo nero, and I went for a beautiful Lamb dish which is no longer on the menu due to that famous seasonality focus. I was intrigued by the Greyface Dartmoor hogget accompanied with anchovies and served with purple sprouting broccoli – which, according to Chef, is one of the most popular dishes.
Portion sizes were perfect here and well suited to the rich and complex flavours that came from every element of the well-constructed dish. It’s here Cornwell’s Michelin training shines through.
We then proceeded to have some of the best desserts I’ve ever had. The GoldRush Apple, served with Tahitian vanilla and warm doughnuts takes you right back to your childhood, whereas the Brown Butter Chocolate Delice, with milk sorbet and caramelised white chocolate is delightfully naughty.
We were extra lucky to visit after a wedding tasting, so we got to sample the finest Barolo leftover from this, but to be honest, any wine on the extensive list would be sublime and the team is well-versed in providing the best recommendations.
The dining room is simplistic and stylish, not pretentious. There’s not a white tablecloth in sight and whilst prices are higher, you truly are paying for top-quality ingredients, not to mention the years of intensive experience Nathan has honed under some of the world’s top chefs.
To discover more, visit: silverbirchchiswick
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All imagery courtesy of Silver Birch Chiswick.