Food

The Honor Oak, Forest Hill, London Review

HonorOakThe Honor Oak
Forest Hill, London

www.thehonoroak.co.uk

Reviewed by Emma Rogers

The Honor Oak has recently been refurbished to include a trendy bar and gastro restaurant in this typical South London Victorian building. Open only three weeks ago, the local feels more upmarket than the usual corner pub but with a Friday night relaxed atmosphere that the clientele were obviously enjoying.

We started with a substantial mackerel pate starter, served with salad and crisp bread. For main courses, the fish pie was another ample size, served with broccoli on the side. It was very rich, but there was plenty of fish, which is rare with most fish pies I’ve ever had! The vegetarian option of stilton and broccoli quiche was less filling but came with a light salad. Although all plates are prepared from fresh in-house, there is a little inconsistency in the portion sizes. Having the quiche myself, it was less weighty than the other plates I saw being brought out around us, and could have done with more side dishes, or just a sturdier piece of quiche. There aren’t as many items on the menu as you would think, with only six items on the mains menu. It’s a rare menu that has duck but not chicken. You will find a whole array of different steaks though, and some lovely chunky chips along with a whole list of other side dishes. There isn’t a specials menu yet either so what you see is what you get. I was looking forward to the desserts! When the plate of poached pear, raspberry milkshake and dark chocolate mousse. Be prepared for a Bake-Off style presentation with each item artfully spaced on trendy slate. Deceptively delicious, you won’t be able to finish this dessert due to how rich it is. The Eton Mess was enormous when it arrived, not that I had trouble finishing it, especially with the fresh berries included.

The kitchen is on view to the whole of the dining room, complete with the bell service and at the other end, a well-stocked fridge. The other customers were mainly locals, curious about this new venue that has recently arrived. We saw friends and couples, but after 8pm, no children are allowed in the pub and there were certainly none in the restaurant. The decor is rustic modern, with mismatched tables and chairs, but stripped back with strategic LED lighting and clean lines, neutral walls. The staff are also very friendly and feel like you could get to know them as a regular customer in the coming months. In years to come, this restaurant will be remembered for it’s on the pulse menu and atmosphere in an up and coming area – before it was as popular in Forest Hill as it soon will be.

One tip, arrive early or book, it gets very busy very quickly!

Rating: 4.5/5

For more information, to view menus or to book a table visit www.thehonoroak.co.uk or call 0208 690 9222.

The Honor Oak, 1 Saint German’s Road, London, SE23 1RH | 0208 690 9222

4 half Star

 

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