The Sportsman
Faversham Road, Seasalter, Whitstable, Kent, London, CT5 4BP
Telephone: 01227 273370
The Sportsman
| Overall 9.5 |
|
| Food 10.0 |
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| Service 9.0 |
|
| Atmosphere 9.0 |
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| Value 10.0 |
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| Based on 1 reviews |
what the critics say
Saturday, February 26, 2011 - Mussel and bacon chowder with a garnish of ground bacon and chives, which was outstanding. Pintail duck, something I'd never eaten, was superb meat, beautifully cooked and rested, and came with the best bread sauce I've ever had. Home-cured ham: fantastic. Braised turbot with crab: running out of superlatives. Lamb breast poached, then breadcrumbed and fried, served with mint sauce: genius idea. The rack and shoulder of the same lamb with cabbage and a fabulously deep, resonant, unsticky meat sauce...The Sportsman is so good that even the Michelin guide has had to bow to reality and award it a star.
The Sportsman
We booked The Sportsman 2 months in advance as this was the earliest table we could get . Our reservation was for 8 o'clock on a iaturday night. Having driven for around 2 hours to get there we arrived about an hour early , this was no problem for the front of house who offered us a drink at the bar . The atmosphere was good , friendly and incredibly relaxed , something you don't find in many Michelen starred resaurants. We have eaten at 1 ,2 and 3 starred restaurants ( fat duck , hibiscus , maze etc ) so we are well educated in fine dining. To start I ordered the slip sole with seaweed butter with 2 Whitstable oysters on the side . The sole was cooked to perfection and with the butter it was a simple but great combination, but the real star was the oysters , so fresh and plump they brought tears to your eyes. My mum isn't a big fan of oysters but having tried mine she ordered some for herself . Definitely the best we had tried. My mum had the wigeon to start which was nice if a little small . For main my mum had the lamb with potato cake , greens and mint sauce . The lamb fell apart as you looked at it , expertly cooked with a delicious mint sauce . I had the red mullet with a bouillabaisse sauce and new potatoes. I don't usually order fish but this was delicious , right on the point and perfectly seasoned . If you're gonna go to this restaurant and you don't order this dish , just order a pint of the sauce ! If it had come in a bucket it wouldn't have been enough. Rich , fishy with just a hint of chilli. Absolutely fantastic. For dessert my mum had the syrup sponge pudding with vanilla custard . Beautifully light withe a world class custard . I had the chocolate mousse with milk ice cream . The only way i can decribe the flavour is like when you are cooking brownies in the oven that fantastic smell fills the whole house , this is what the mousse tasted like and just when you thought it couldn't get any better an unctuous salted caramel hiding in the bottom . I'm not much of a pudding man but this was light and possibly the best dish of the night . With coffee and wine the bill came to £104 , What a bargain for what really was 3 starred cooking . We'll be returning very soon.
Comment on this reader review
matt kendrick
10
Overall rating 
Food 10 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 10
Sunday, November 21, 2010
The Sportsman
Excellent food, service good
Lovely setting
Comment on this reader review
Mrs Joanne Hopkins
10
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 10
Friday, October 01, 2010
what the bloggers say
London Eater
Monday, October 17, 2011 - I think The Sportsman thoroughly deserves its reputation, this kitchen is a finely tuned instrument, Harris and his team can definitely make sweet music with pots and pans, the sheer clarity in the cooking is rarely experienced, and something that eager gluttons yearn for. But upon reflection on the ride back to London, I don't think this meal was the revelation I'd hope it would be. It came very close to changing my life, but truthfully it didn't. In a way, I don't think it's meant to, this isn't the precise opera of Blumenthal, this is the jazz of Harris in a seriously laid back pub.
A Forkful of Spaghetti
Friday, August 26, 2011 - Slip sole in seaweed butter. It had both of us licking our plates for every last morsel, every last droplet of molten butter. So simple, but utterly stunning. The Other Diner's crab risotto. Made from the brown meat, with the white meat atop. Pronounced 'gorgeous.'...The overall verdict? Probably the finest meal I've eaten on these shores. I went with unfeasibly high expectations and they were blown out of the water. It was stupendously good, and words can't express just how fantastic all the flavours were - a real all-singing, all-dancing celebration of the ingredients.
Tamarind and Thyme
Monday, June 27, 2011 - To start, I had to try their Slip Sole Grilled in Seaweed Butter, a dish I'd heard lots about. It was exactly what it was and its preparation highlighted the freshness of the fish and well, the deliciousness of the butter. So good, so tender, so I want more please...I sought Phil's opinion on what I should have for my main course and he suggested the Roast Belly of Monkshill Farm Pork with Crackling and Apple Sauce. Yes, oh yes, I do like me some pork belly and this was amazing. The top of the tender belly had the finest piece of crackling I'd ever had in a restaurant.
Essex Eating
Tuesday, March 01, 2011 - A teapot and cups containing Turbot Tea was placed on the table. The Tea was the stock that our next course had been cooked in, along with seaweed and soy. It was great, and an inventive way of introducing the next dish. E's menu and mine converged again at this point, Turbot with Sea Herbs (which were apparently sea beets gathered on the beach that morning by the chefs). Another beautiful dish, turbot is always a treat. The accompanying sea beet had an almost sweet taste, at least we think it was from the sea beet and not the sauce, neither of us having encountered it before. There were also cockles, some white crab meat, and a dusting of scallop roe powder.
A Rather Unusual Chinaman
Sunday, November 28, 2010 - After a brief interlude of bread (which included some of the best focaccia I have ever tasted), we were brought a shallow bowl with various morsels of seafood placed very deliberately around the bowl. The smell of the fresh seaside was overwhelming. I could have been outside sitting right next to the shore. A broth made from the bones of the turbot we would receive later in the meal was carefully poured over the seafood, producing a light and delicious soup. Next, a delicate slip sole, cooked perfectly and doused in seaweed butter. Perfectly simple, perfectly executed, unbelievably tasty.
Cheese and Biscuits - 9/10
Monday, October 05, 2009 - The next seafood dish, a crab risotto, was probably the best risotto I've ever eaten in my life. It wasn't just the superbly seasoned mixture, the confidently straightforward presentation or the perfectly-judged portion size. No, what most impressed me was the way they had used the brown meat to make the rice mixture and topped it with a generous portion of the sweet white meat on top...But what was most impressive about the Sportsman, aside from their attention to detail, generosity of spirit and effortlessly charming service, is the fact that at its heart, it's still just a local pub that happens to serve incredible food.
Dos Hermanos
Monday, April 13, 2009 - I try and visit The Sportsman at least once a year. I’d like to visit more often but it’s becoming ever more difficult to secure a table at the weekend. They could break their one sitting rule I suppose and try and cram in more people but to their credit they haven’t…If ever there was a place for London foodies jaded with the identikit and mediocre offerings of the capital then The Sportsman is it. It really does refresh the parts that other restaurants cannot reach.
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@icecreamunion Oh HELLO! Sounds right up my street.
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