Food reviews

The Chamberlayne

Above: Kensal Rise's Chamberlayne

The latest pub to receive the ubiquitous gastro makeover is the old Bankers Draft on Chamberlayne Road, soaking up W10’s overspill into NW10. Billing itself ‘pub and steakhouse,’ it’s a likeable, unpretentious space. In a stylish but not overly styled bar area there are quality beers on tap, and the back dining room has the functional look of serious food about it, with a few tables outside too.
We were here for Sunday lunch, feeling hungry, and weren’t disappointed. Starters of whitebait with tartare sauce and globe artichoke with butter were impressive: lightly coated fish with a bit of crunch and good fishy taste and an enormous, beautiful artichoke in varying shades of green and purple that was an absolute delight (though, we felt, a bit steep at £7.50, whatever its credentials). Despite the steakhouse moniker, the menu’s not dominated by beef and we went for a whole rotisserie free-range chicken with lemon and thyme to share, which was a proper treat. Juicy, full of flavour and properly satisfying, these birds sell out fast, even though they’ve only been open a few weeks. Side orders of chips came in silly tin tubs and a green salad was unexciting, but otherwise this is a definite thumbs up for Kensal Rise. l Pendle Harte