Medlar

Medlar opened around April 2011 after David O’Connor and Joe Mercer Nairne, who’d worked together at Chez Bruce had the opportunity to open their own restaurant together. The restaurant is on the King’s Road so it is relatively out of the way. Their website describes the restaurant as a short walk from Fulham Broadway but it is actually close to a mile so that means you work up a good appetite before you get there.

This was my second time at Medlar, six months after having lunch there in early May. The first obvious difference between the two visits was how busy things were this time. In May I had been the first person to arrive and mostly had the restaurant to myself. This time, the place was getting busy by 12:20 and was totally full by 1 pm. Despite a low-key opening, the good word of mouth reputation of Medlar means that a full restaurant is now commonplace. Tom Aikens was also eating his lunch there. 

The menu at Medlar changes seasonally but there are dishes that are already emerging as signature dishes. First choice from the menu was the crab raviolo served with samphire, brown shrimp, fondue of leeks & bisque sauce. The pasta in the open raviolo was cooked perfectly and the crab and brown shrimps were delicious. The gentle flavour of the leeks worked very well with the crustaceans but the element that really drove the whole dish was the bisque sauce which was a lovely, creamy sauce with a very subtle saffron touch. Nothing was left in the dish at the end.  

Having the crab raviolo meant that  two starters were necessary so I could also have the "signature" Duck egg tart. Having eaten it in May, it was an automatic choice this time around. This dish is fantastic, consisting of a fried duck egg sitting on a pastry disc over baby sorrel. Lardons, sautéed Duck hearts, onion & turnip puree ring the tart and a red wine sauce is drizzled around the boundary. This is possibly the ultimate fried egg dish. Lardons give the dish a Full English foundation while the red wine jus & duck hearts add richness to it overall. Although a generally underused ingredient ,the freshness of the turnip flavour provides a nice counterbalance to the richness of the other ingredients. Can’t wait to eat it again. 

The main was assiette of middle white pork. This was a simple looking dish with the tender pork stacked with black cabbage on celeriac puree. The dish was topped with huge shards of crackling. The dish may look simple but the flavours were delightful with another excellent gravy to combine with the meat and vegetables.  

Moving onto desserts, it was on to something lighter to round things off with lemon posset with blackberry and vanilla shortbread fitting the bill. The lemon posset was a smooth, creamy and refreshing with the blackberries providing contrasting sharpness and texture. Although it was nice to have the shortbread biscuits, the dessert really didn't need them as an accompaniment (although they helped cover up the hole when I started eating before the photo). Chocolate truffles were brought to the table with the bill. Delicious as they were, I couldn’t finish them. 

Chocolate truffles were brought to the table with the bill. Delicious as they were, I couldn’t finish them.  

Overall verdict 
Over two visits, Medlar has been excellent. The food is consistently well presented with immaculate blends of flavours. It is incredibly good value for a London restaurant, based on the quality of the food,. Front of house are very welcoming and help make each visit a very pleasant experience.  Medlar has become one of my favourite places to eat at .

Would I revisit Medlar? 
Oh yes. Medlar is likely to be an integral part of future trips back to London 

Overall Rating - 5/5