The Devonshire
our review
The Duke of Devonshire, as it used to be known, ticked all the boxes if it was a classic old school Young’s Victorian boozer you were looking for. Oak panelled walls, a bar that dominated the entire centre of the pub, plenty of ales on tap, a poor wine list, pretty average food, and a beer garden that warranted a desperate call to Alan Titchmarsh & Co.
Now, with a complete transformation by Harrison’s Interior Decorating Company that’s made the bar into a New York style environment – chic, easy-going, value for money and friendly, comfortable leather banquettes dotted around the place, a newly spruced up restaurant and a magic wand in the garden, Young’s seemed to have pulled it off.
Re-opened on the 1st March 2008 and still managed by Barry Thomas (he’s been there over twenty years), The Devonshire is now the place in Balham to hang out. However, it’s not been an easy ride since the launch. There’ve been a few hitches in the kitchen - they sacked three chefs in two weeks before they found one that lived up to expectations. Waiting staff, who’d plainly never worked in a restaurant before came and went like aspiring actors in Hollywood, and even a wine list, that’s still not going to be completely ready till the end of May. I’ve seen drafts though, and it looks great. Barry’s promised 13 wines by the glass and 15 each of the whites and reds by the bottle, plus Champagne, to include Krug!
Barry seems to have the know-how and drive to make the right decisions, and, having spent a few hours listening to what he has in store for the summer The Devonshire’s a place I’m certainly going to be spending some time in - seasonal beers every three months, Young’s own Cockburn & Campbell Champagne cocktails and Pimm’s on tap, Addlestone cider, sparkling Pelorus (Cloudy Bay in New Zealand’s very own fizz) by the glass, if the temperature outside is above 15 degrees, and it’s not raining obviously, there’s going to be BBQ’s seven days a week. The appealing garden incidentally has seating for three hundred and the Nelson BBQ will offer: ribs, platters, wings, salads, chicken, burgers, the lot.
The main restaurant inside offers great value for money and the service is attentive and assured. The menu, although not exactly extensive, covers most bases and safely caters for all you fussys out there. We opted for the chicken liver parfait with red onion marmalade and the Portobello mushrooms stuffed with spinach, pine nuts and parmesan for starters. We noticed a big plate of juicy king prawns being served to another table that almost had us changing our minds though.
For mains we devoured a succulent slow roasted pork belly with creamy mash, spinach and red wine jus – perhaps the highlight of the meal, which really a main course should be, and very good value. The duck breast with rosti potato, braised savoy cabbage and a port jus I’ve never really been a fan of but the duck was beautifully cooked, the cabbage, plainly prepared by a non vegetable in the kitchen, the rosti, still glistening with excitement, but just a tad over-priced?
The desserts, plainly made by someone who thinks you’ve never eaten before, let alone the two courses beforehand, are massive. My cheese board, for example, could have quite happily done me for the entire evening. How they make any money on that, God only knows, but the sticky toffee pudding was good. Not stodgy like some can be, bouncy in texture and rich enough to seriously finish you off for the evening.
Open from 10am till mid-night and serving proper breakfasts as well between 10am and 12 noon, I’ll no doubt see you there.
T.K-S - June 2008
your comments review this restaurant and win a bottle of champagne
Alike the original review, it would seem my partner and I went to the Devonshire in it's infancy, and since also found out that the chefs and waiting staff were not settled, or looking for long term employment.
The actual dining area is awesome. There were so many design features of the entire pub that had I had few morals, I would've stolen them in a carrier bag. But the food... It's quite a simple menu, just above pricey for a pub, but once you try and forget it's a pub (the dining area is really swish with the right amount of mood lighting) then you understand what it's aiming for.
The prawn starter was so badly overcooked that the head of the prawns fell off without any effort, I hadn't seen brown prawns before. The main of steak was nice, but they thought it was ok to serve it with sides totally different to the description on the menu. Considering the menu choice is so little (six starters, six mains at time of visit) you would think that could get that right.
My partners starter made him exclaim that it screamed of a frozen Birdseye supermarket special, but enjoyed his main. Dessert was fairly innocuous, but considering it to be my birthday, we found solace that they couldn't stuff up the wines.
It was a little sad really, it's a great pub, the garden out the back is massive and inviting (but the price of the BBQ nightly is again, just between good value and pricey). I did email the manager who I must say was genuine in his desire to get things right and I think once The Devonshire settles down and finds it's feet, I'll give it one more try.
Comment on this reader review
Jason Bleaney
Overall rating 
Food 4 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 5
Sunday, June 29, 2008
