The Hurlingham

I can’t say meh, it’s not bad it’s just not my style. We were here because it was the first place my friends could think of that was still open after 11 in the neighborhood.
The downstairs area has space to dance but the dj was awful that night. The drinks were overpriced. Maybe if I was feeling a bit classier and came earlier in the night I might have enjoyed the upstairs area. Maybe.

I still remember this as the site of Mas Café way back in the days when All Saints Road was edgy and cool. We would be here almost every weekend for brunch.
I completely missed the last incarnation Ruby & Sequoia which appeared just as pretentious as its name and went down the cocktail club rather than restaurant route.
Glad to see that food is being put first again at The Hurlingham (not so sure about the name either as it just sounds more like pub or private members club but hey, I’ll get over it). Thoroughly enjoyed dinner with a group of friends here last night. It helps if you are really into meat (which I’m not) as half of the menu consists of variations of steak, and both fish dishes featured meat as well.
The undisputed highlight was a starter of roesti chips served alongside wild mushrooms and poached egg. The bread we nibbled on beforehand was warmed, which was a lovely touch especially as we were getting a bit chilled with the door wide open to let the night’s entertainment in (some cool jazz tunes filtering up from the downstairs club later on). This was even more noticeable as we were the only diners for most of the night.
The Hurlingham has been up and running for about three months now, and I really hope business will pick up as you need a crowd to create the right atmosphere (and some warmth).
This could well become a favourite again, and I hope I will return soon to this review with additional stars!