One of the trendier spots in town to get a roast dinner, the skilled specialists of ‘conscious gastronomy’ at Fallow achieve their perspicacious vision of sustainable practices, culinary creativity, and a convivial hospitality experience with stunning finesse.
Their nose-to-tail ethos – that is, using every part of the animal with minimal, if any, waste – not only carries with it a message of sustainability and waste consciousness which are appreciated by the chic East London types, but also opens up many more possibilities in recipe design, cooking methods, plating, and prep.
Butchers expertly separate cut from bone, muscle from silverskin and cartilage, whose level to detail must be exceptional so as to maximise the edibility of the entirety of their product. This was an ethos pioneered by British chef Fergus Henderson in the 90s, and since then, casual British audiences have become less discomforted from seeing items like oxtail, tongue, liver, cheek, and marrow bones.
While Fallow swims in the wake of the famous St John’s captain, it has earned its keep in St James market, since winning awards such as the Marie Claire and GQ ‘sustainable restaurant of the year’ and the Caterer award for ‘best new restaurant’.
A bold and unique interior to match the vision of their restaurant, the 150-cover space feels more like an aircraft hangar or a Soviet-era hotel lobby than of a Michelin-recommended restaurant: Brutalist, steel, inverted planters hang menacingly from above, a marvellous, curved stone countertop allowing diners to sit the other side of the pass, an wooden veranda that looks like it was designed by a delirious spider, and the kind of mid-low lighting that makes all the food look incredible.
An all-day spot, their breakfasts start at 7:30am from Monday to Friday, and their last orders come in at 10:30pm, with brunches and set lunches in between. Brunch offerings are a typical assortment of poached eggs, avocado, granolas in various different formats, and five different types of Royale, though for the full-blooded amongst you, I would of course recommend Fallow Full breakfast of smoked bacon, black pudding, sausage herbed mushrooms, fried eggs tomatoes & sourdough toast. From their small plates, you’d have to order the Mushroom parfait, with shiitake mushrooms grown from their basement garden alongside homegrown Lions mane. This is something of their signature plate, so would of course be a shame to pass it by.
Their cocktails come in between £14 and £17 (about the standard for central London these days) with their highlight being the Frozen Margarita, arguably the quintessential summer cocktail. And while there’s irresistible dishes aplenty, their main selling point is of course their Sunday roasts. It is the litmus test by which all of their ethical, culinary, and cosmetic tenets are measured.
Roasted meats include dairy cow rump, rolled pork belly, maitake mushroom, dairy cow fillet, and lamb leg, all served with roast potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, glazed carrots, braised red cabbage, greens and gravy. The ergonomics of their butchering, their attention to sustainability, the uniformity of their preparation, and the quality of their presentation are all here evidenced. It is their ultimate offering, which is why Sundays are famously hard to book for and manically busy. My recommendation? Sit on the counter. Better service, more ambience, and you can watch the chefs work. Their tranquil proficiency greatly contrasts the popular stereotypes of chefs which we often see on Boiling Point and The Bear.
Finish with a dessert, ideally the pumpkin soufflé, and you will no doubt leave with a deep pining to return for more.
Details
- Address:
- 50-51 Haymarket
- SW1Y 4RP
- Transport:
- Piccadilly Circus