As good as it gets

I first encountered Tom Etridge during an afternoon of wanderlust when I happened upon Golborne House in darkest Notting Hill back in 1999.

Etridge had just formed what was to become an astute, occasional business relationship with Beth Coventry, the leading lady of the gastropub phenomenon, whose reputation as such was confirmed during her long stint at the helm of the nearby Prince Bonaparte pub. The pair had transformed Golborne House, a once gloomy locals' local, into one of the most fabulously laid-back gastropubs London has ever seen.

Early last summer, Etridge went on to open the Waterway, a barcum-restaurant on the banks of the Grand Union Canal in the ragamuffin bit of Maida Vale. And earlier this year, reunited with Ms Coventry, they breathed a new lease of gastro life into the Wells pub in sleepy Hamsptead. It seemed he was moving stratospherically upmarket with each and every move.

So the news that Etridge, this time riding solo, had taken this successful formula into the uncharted waters of Pimlico had me making haste. The Ebury is a modern, confident-looking venue in the part of town where workaday Victoria meets prosperous Pimlico and, even on first impression, I decided that one day people will look back on this place as a classic example of an early 21st century bar.

The Ebury is a colossal venue, spread over two floors with an appetising crustacea bar (so very Conran), a handsome brasserie and welcoming lounge on the ground floor, and a splendidly restored oak staircase leading to a beautifully manicured first-floor dining room. The decor of pale pastels, brown leather and teak-stained woodwork are the result of an expensive refurbishment (word on the street has it that the cost was almost £650,000) and provides for what is an extremely warm and welcoming environment.

Hoegaarden and Scrumpy Jack represent the best of the draught offering, and Cobra and Nastro Azzurro are the best bottled brews. An extensive wine list covers Old and New World selections, and these are helpfully categorised by style of wine on the menu. The staff are enthusiastic and friendly.

The cocktail list is long, and includes the staple classics along with some interesting new fruit infusions. A Cosmopolitan and a Woodford Reserve Old Fashioned were pretty close to perfect (both £6.50), and a Kumkwat (sic) Imperial (fresh kumquats, passion fruit and Mandarin Napoleon brandy, also £6.50) made for a deliciously refreshing, flavourful drink with a nice kick to it. Given that this is a place that takes its cocktail drinking
seriously, now might be a good time to dispense with jokily named drinks such as Between The Sheets.

A dozen oysters cost £33 at the crustacea bar, and the brasserie menu includes plates of charcuterie (£7 for a small plate, £12 for large), a delicious Welsh rarebit (£5.75), sea trout fishcakes (£13.75), lobster thermidor (£30), and an onion tart with a green leaf salad (£13).

Apart from the high stools at the bar counter, the rest of the place is furnished with low-slung tables and robust leather sofas. The chairs, rather than being comfortable, are more like instruments of medieval torture - if you sit in them properly you'll be sitting at nearly 45 degrees. But this is what happens when designers choose style over comfort.

So, am I feeling generous in awarding this place a rare three-star grading given that I have one or two small reservations? I am indeed - but I'm of the opinion that we should pardon them their peccadilloes.

The Ebury
10 Pimlico Road, SW1W 8NQ