Bush Hall Dining Rooms

Last year while we had our house refurbed we stayed with friends just off Uxbridge Road and I found what is now one of my favourite pubs for food. However there was another place on Uxbridge Road that I walked past quite often that looked really good, and that was Bush Hall Dining Rooms which had only opened a couple of months before, and is part of the iconic music venue, Bush Hall, next door. Fast forward nearly a year and I finally got round to going there. Now I've discovered it I've actually booked it for my birthday meal next month as that's how much we liked it.

We all have role models on which we base some aspect of our life. Sometimes they turn out pretty cringe (like when I tried to be like Dr. Dre in the late 90’s/early 00’s) but other times, it works out quite well. My food blogging is what it is largely because I have been inspired by one Miss Grace Dent. Needless to say she is a great writer but she is also extremely funny, witty and is able to connect with the reader to make her pieces seem all the more personal. Google her name and find a few of her articles if you feel like a chuckle or pick up an ES magazine on Fridays. Pure class. Being a fan, when she says something, I tend to listen, so when she gave Bush Hall Dining Rooms a strong endorsement, I figured that should probably be a place I pay a visit for a special occasion and chose my birthday to do so.

I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t go to the wild West London very often and Shepherds Bush is a foreign land to me. I might make the odd visit or two every year but that is either because 1) I’m going to the Westfield; or 2) I’ve fallen asleep on the tube. So while walking down Uxbridge Road in all its chicken shop and watermelon mini-mart selling glory (seriously, it seemed like every shop was only selling watermelon), I was thinking “Grace, this had better be good...”. But then, seemingly out of nowhere, it sprung up. It’s hard not to notice Bush Hall as its decor compared to the surrounding neighbours makes it stick out like a sore thumb. The place, decorated in (funnily enough) an old dining hall style, has a lot of character and though the fit out was seemingly simple, it was evident a lot of thought had gone into it. Very cool.

I sat down and immediately ordered a flat white because Lord knows I needed one. No skinny milk today but the waitress was kind enough to offer to buy some which was a nice touch. On this occasion though, I decided to puff up my chest, pick up my balls and boldly proclaim that being a man, I will brave the whole milk. My table was politely impressed; the other patrons, I don’t want to know. Note: coffee was goooood.

Having now gained some serious street cred with the waitress, I proceeded to place an order of scallops with black pudding, the Lancashire hot pot and razor clams on the side.

The scallops with black pudding was delicious; cooked and presented well. The subtleness of the scallops paired perfectly with the richness of the black pudding. A solid and well balanced dish all round.

The Lancashire hot pot I thought was very intriguing and a lot saucier than others I’ve had before. The flavour from the beef came through strong and the overall dish was seasoned very well. A good, hearty dish all round.

Highlight of the night though hands down went to dessert where I was surprised with a custom birthday platter of chocolate de leche, treacle cookie, pistachio ice cream and Eaton mess. Each individual component in their own right would've been a great finish to a great meal. That I got them all was heavenly. A very classy move from a classy establishment.

Verdict, it was a top meal all round. The decor was great and the staff were fantastic, really paying attention to what was going on. Food tasted excellent and was well presented; I can’t really fault the flavours of the dishes. If you live out in west London, pay these guys a visit. They are a real gem in the area and here's hoping the beginning of a movement in the vicinity.


Also follow me on Twitter @annixontong and @WeTryKai and on Instagram @annixontong.

On Tuesday evening I was invited to try a new neighbourhood restaurant just opened in Shepherd’s Bush. Unfortunately this is not my neighbourhood. My nearest restaurant is an all-day Chinese buffet that also sells chips. And Sangria (£9 a jug). I did however invite a friend along who does live nearby. A (I’m still not sure about this initial thing, maybe I need to be more creative in coming up with pseudonyms for my dinner dates?) is a part of my ‘book group’. I use quote marks as we gave up trying to get everyone to read the same book a long time ago. We now just cook for each other and chat about life, feminism, and, on occasion, books.

Bush Hall Dining Rooms is part of Bush Hall (duh) – a live music and events venue where I once saw the Scissor Sisters perform (later that same night I saw Wagner of X Factor fame at G.A.Y – from the sublime to the ridiculous). Husband and wife team Charlie Raworth and Emma Hutchinson own the whole building, and decided to take over the licence for what was a greasy spoon and turn it into something they think local people really want. The inside has a slight New York diner feel to it – leather booths and red checkered flooring, naked hanging bulbs and a long dark wood bar. It feels modern and chic but not like it is trying too hard.

From the outset the service was attentive and friendly. I asked which white wine they would recommended from the list of carafes (I do like a restaurant that serves carafes, sometimes a bottle is just too much on a weekday evening) and took their recommendation for a lovely light, clean Pinot Grigio. The menu was slightly more adventurous than I was expecting. Alongside the standard cheeseburger and rib-eye, was seared tuna and stuffed courgette flowers. It was a good mix of fussy-eater-pleasers, and dishes that you could get genuinely excited about ordering. The biggest delight of the menu however was ‘The Art of Conversation’ printed on the back. It was witty and clever, and just a such lovely idea. Apparently other menus have Edwardian parlour games to try. Keen to try as much as possible we ordered two starters and two mains to share between us.

For starters we chose the duck egg, English asparagus soldiers and celery salt (£7.50), and the shrimp cocktail with Jack Daniels Marie Rose (8.50). The vibrant green asparagus was the right side of al dente, and the pale yellow yoke was perfectly runny. Sitting on top of our cocktail were two paprika sprinkled king prawns (I’ve just been down to ask Flatmate 1 what the difference is between a king and tiger prawn. She said, ‘Who cares? They’re all prawns. If they are that pedantic they need to get a life. It’s not like you are calling it a crab.’), with smaller crustaceans lurking in the thick punchy sauce beneath. Both dishes were perfectly executed takes on classics. Quite simply, I enjoyed eating them.

Our first main was the fish stew (£15) which consisted of generous chunks of firm white fish, clams, mussels and prawns in a lightly spiced tomato broth with a thin crisp piece of toast smothered in garlicky saffron aioli. They get top marks for choosing coley, pollock and red mullet, all, as far as I’m aware, sustainable species of fish. According to their menu they source all their produce, where possible, from the British Isles only going further afield when it ‘cannot be found in our own land or waters’. *Applauds*. We then moved on to ‘Pork 3 ways’ (£15). The three ways were pork belly, pork loin wrapped in prosciutto and rosemary, and, for want of a better word, a pork ball. They were topped with a healthy portion of crackling and a bowl of apple sauce sat on the side. The belly and loin were both excellent pieces of nicely cooked porkiness, but the pork ball was slightly on the dry side and a bit of a weak link. The crackling was top notch though, and the simple crab apple sauce delectable. In A’s words ‘they should bottle and sell it’.

For desert we choose a summer pudding with Devon clotted cream, and a stunning Earl Grey burnt cream (both £6). I liked the seasonal berry option, but the Bergamont scented thick cream that you found when you pierced the layer of crunchy shiny sugar was lick the bowl, and then the spoon, and then the waitress good.

The owners set out to open a restaurant that people actually want, and in this they couldn’t have been more successful. It is the antidote to all the cool-obsessed restaurants that have been popping up all over town the last two years. You can book a table, there is more than one dish on the menu, the seats are comfortable and children are actively encouraged (the kids menu comes with games, popcorn on the house and the offer to warm a bottle). They serve brunch and the papers on a weekend morning, and family style roasts (£14 a head, 48 hours to order, served on sharing platters so you can help yourself) on a Sunday. There is no time of the day or week they haven’t thought about what the locals need and want, and endeavored to meet it. Long after the queues have died down outside Meat Liquor, and people have got bored of burgers and lobsters, I predict this place will still be buzzing.

Went for dinner with a friend on a Sunday evening. Relaxed vibe, good music, tasty wine and delicious mushroom pizza. As a local to the area, it's great to have such a cool place on Uxbridge road, one of a kind. Looking forward to visiting again soon!

This is the best spot in Sheps Bush, end of. Wax collection is eclectic and reasonably priced. Coffee is exquisite. The cocktails are unreal and they’ve got natty wine for days. All the staff are heroes, you should definitely pop in if you’re in West.

Very friendly staff with excellent customer service (have been twice in the afternoon). Not sure about breakfasts but on a Sunday if you do not have time or energy to do a traditional roast, they really do a good one! Well cooked lamb & traditional mint sauce. Nice vibe, good music & mix of people. Would definitely recommend especially if you live locally. I have missed out on about 4 occasions as it gets very busy so I found, book before lunchtime!

A very surprising place,selling vinyl records ,Coffee shop,Wine Bar,You can check out some vinyl before you buy.? 😀&down a few steps in the back there's tables and chairs ➕a small stage "Musicians playing live "great experience ➕its a cashless established. No problem there either.

They have got the most amazing breakfast menu in Shepherd's bush. So much variety! The staff is lovely, the service is fast and the poached eggs are spot on! And I love the fact I can use my tastecard. Keep it up!