The Henry Root
9 Park Walk
London SW10
Tel: 020 7352 3336

Henry Root, (who this restaurant cum wine bar is named after), seems something of an odd ball. For a start his real name was William Donaldson. A well-known local hell raiser and raconteur, he devoted much of his spare time writing letters to public figures with unusual questions or requests. Appropriately there a selection of memorabilia dedicated to his eccentricities including the front of a traditional post box hanging on the wall.

The interior is designed to have an inviting and cosy feel, with wood being used both as panelling and flooring; I’d go as far to say it has a homely atmosphere which is quite rare to find in a London dining room. On a freezing Tuesday evening in March the room was abuzz with atmosphere, the overall impression being one of mostly well-heeled locals dining out with friends. There is a mixture of seating, some banquette, some round tables and some square, well-spaced with comfortable armchair seating. At the rear part of the kitchen is on full-display which integrates the diner fully in the culinary experience and another bonus was that for once the background music did not interfere with our conversation at all. The menu is designed in a grazing style, so it is possible to go in and have a small snack or a full blown meal. The Head Chef, Sang Nguyen has honed his craft over many years, notably cooking at the Michelin starred Le Manoir aux Quat Saison, and more recently at Le Gavroche and Maze. There is also a large and reasonably priced wine list, sold by the glass, bottle and carafe. Here the focus is on using small producers and growers, featuring organic, biodynamic and natural wines.

To begin, there is a wonderful selection of charcuterie and other such delicacies to whet the appetite. We tried an array of delicately smoked flavoured meats with a glass of 2009 Verdigo Martin Sancho Spanish white which, with its flinty and crisp overtones complimented beautifully the delicate flavours on the palate.

Alongside the menu there is a ‘The Daily Paper’ – a billboard style list of changing specials which comprised of five starters, two main courses and three puddings. These included a parsley soup and a roasted bream with baby gem lettuce and salsa verde dressing. The menu is separated into sections, including small cold dishes and small hot dishes. I began with an inviting plate of butternut squash with girdle and pecorino salad. It was beautifully presented with a tasty dressing, and succulent cubes of squash; a healthy and inventive starter. My guest began with the garlic butter escargot on toast from the daily specials menu. He is something of an escargot enthusiast and he remarked they were tender and deliciously flavoured. With this he had an accompanying glass of Beaujolais Chateau Cambon, pronouncing it a good medium wine in weight and colour and highly drinkable.

To follow, he chose a hanger steak, with accompanying béarnaise sauce. This is unusual in shape and size – long, and shaped rather like a boomerang! He commented it was well flavoured and cooked medium rare as he had requested but could have been a little hotter; this was accompanied by proper chips and lovely buttery spinach. My plate of pork with carrot and endive salad came with plenty of crispy crackling and tender meat and it was accompanied by a gorgeous glass of full bodied and fruity Cahors Maurin, Domaine de la Berangeraie 2005.
For pudding my guest was in raptures over his sherry trifle, commenting it was the best ever, not too sweet and not too thick. A ‘piece de resistance’ – he remarked looking extremely impressed. My slice of pecan and raisin cake was feather-light and well-flavoured – all it lacked was a good dollop of crème fraiche and it would have been faultless!

The Henry Root is somewhere very enjoyable to visit with its relaxed atmosphere and welcoming staff. We concluded with the firm verdict that we had a very enjoyable evening and would certainly be back in the near future.

Reviewed by Louise Elgin – March 2011

Wines from £15.50 a bottle. £5.10 a glass.
A three course meal with wine and water is around £40.00 per head.