The Thatched House pub, 15 Dalling Road, Hammersmith, London, W6 0ET

The colourful chairs were shunned by the older seats… ‘They just don’t understand us’ whispered Pink

We are so very jealous of the residents of Hammersmith, their new neighbourhood pub is one that we could only dream of. The Thatched House near Ravenscourt Park tube has recently opened under the watchful eye of publican extraordinaire Oisin Rogers, alongside Phil White. You are more likely to have heard of Oisin’s super successful other pub, The Ship in Wandsworth, which has just been voted 4th in the UK’s 10 Best Gastro Pubs.

The Thatched is special, a pub for all seasons, a cute secret garden in the summer, inside is cosy with a log fire and church candles, made us almost wish it was winter. The decor was refreshingly different, lightshades that looked suspiciously like jelly moulds, a little cage of candles, exposed brick walls with contrasting russet red. A mismatch of cool and cosy furniture, I so want that pink chair (pictured above). The barman was welcoming to strangers and regulars alike, he admitted that he’s not great with names but remembers what regulars drink – and that’s all that really counts!

Secret garden… Well not that secret, just head to the back of the pub

The board meeting was going well until the scotch egg had to split

The kitchen is overseen by Shaun Harrington, also of the Ship. The menu features a mix of British classics and a few American dishes thrown in for good measure. The Snack Platter £12 is a must.  We knew the scotch egg would be good seeing as The Ship hosted the #ScotchEggChallenge last year, which is back bigger and better in September, this time in conjunction with Fortnum & Mason with judges including Gizzi Erskine and Eric Lanlard, see here for more info.

The Cotswold Legbar egg was perfection, the crispest coating, a thing of beauty. The pork pie tasted more like a sausage pie to us, but it was pure pastry heaven. I hate the jelly in pork pies so this was ideal for me. Can imagine it would be fantastic with a heap of mash and steaming gravy.

The salt beef sandwich was lighter than most, thinly sliced beef with a Harissa mayonnaise. Sipsmith Sloe Gin infused salmon was a genius creation, am not a big smoked salmon fan (the texture is just not right) but I gave it a go, leaving Ade to devour the rest. I opted for a liquid version, an ice-cold glass of Sipsmith Sloe Gin £4.50 on the rocks instead.

Pale ale… Not just for old men!

The bottles knew their dating days were over… They’d been put on the shelf

The Snack Platter was a meal in itself, especially washed down with a Sambrook‘s Thatched House pale ale, specially brewed just for them. The ale, £3.90 a pint, made locally is very slightly ‘fizzy’ (ideal for clearing the palate) and chilled to just above lager temperature. We later moved onto the fantastic in-house infused tonics, such a great idea, it certainly livened up our drinks. Flavours include Celery and Lemon, Cucumber and Mint, Chai Tea and Hibiscus, Earl Grey and Coriander, Green Tea and Pickled Ginger, Lemon Grass, Kaffir Lime and Basil.

‘The Burger’, enough said!

Perfectly pink…

The Burger £11, a patty consisting of 60% forerib, 20% chunk and 20% fat inside an incredibly buttery viennoise bun. I was relieved that it wasn’t one of those huge stacks with a spike through it that can only be eaten with a knife and fork. It was a fine medium rare burger, but the bun was too buttery and sweet for me, I’m sure I’m in the minority on that front. I opted for no cheese due to my hatred of the stuff, shame as they have their own homemade processed cheese which would have been interesting for Ade to try. He did want the burger also but has an infuriating habit of never ordering the same thing as me, despite desperately craving it.

A plate of pickles with a schitzel on the side

Ade’s Schnitzel, fries and pickles £10 came with a good selection of pickles and a huge pile of fries. Ade said the schnitzel was a little dry, but the meat tasty and flavoursome. He’s into his pickles at the moment, I blame Pitt Cue Co for this addiction!

‘Who you calling thick?’ shouted Custard… But Roly Poly didn’t care, she was minted!

We were both stuffed to the brim so shared a dessert. I ordered something I’ve not had in years, Cherry jam Roly Poly with custard £6. A stodgy pudding with superb custard, we should’ve asked for more of the yellow stuff. If only we weren’t so far away we’d be regulars for sure, friendly staff, great food, a vast array of booze, what more could you want?

The Thatched House,
15 Dalling Road, Hammersmith,
London, W6 0ET

Telephone: 020 8748 6174
Email: thatchedhouse@youngs.co.uk

Opening hours: Sunday – Wednesday 11am until 11pm
Thursday – Saturday 11am until midnight

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Nearest station: Ravenscourt Park

A proper pub!