The Dysart Arms in Petersham sits right on the edge of Richmond Park – It’s as close to a country restaurant you’ll get in London and has quite the rep. We went down on a Sunday afternoon, with the sun shining in the sky we opted to sit in the leafy garden for some alfresco dining.
Head Chef Kenneth Culhane, who joined The Dysart Arms in 2012, has an impressive CV having gained experience at the Ledbury and Level 31. The menu changes seasonally and the dishes are all well thought out – they not only taste great but look the part too! We started with the colourful courgette salad with poached egg and pickled gladioli and the Veal sweetbreads in black truffle vinaigrette with fresh almonds.
Most of the vegetables are grown in the restaurant’s garden so they keep the freshness and the meat and fish is all tip, top quality too. As we were waiting for our starters we were brought an amuse bouche of Cumber Gazpacho, light and refreshing it started the meal off on a high note and was a great twist on the classic gazpacho.
For mains it was all about the Huntsham Court Farm Longhorn beef, well it was a Sunday. The food arrived on two wooden slabs, one for the tender meat which was sliced for sharing and one for the potatoes, which came served three different ways.
We ended with the rich Valrhona jivara chocolate and praline bar served with homemade miso salted carmel ice-cream – delish! We couldn’t fault the meal, the location and food all go together and mixed up with efficient service The Dysart Arms have pretty much nailed the gourmet grub scene. Booking is advisable peeps.
135 Petersham Rd Richmond, Surrey TW10 7AA
www.thedysartarms.co.uk