New neighbourhood bistro Ruth's is opening in Putney, promising "atmosphere and buzz"

Ruths opens in Putney

Ruth's is a new neighbourhood restaurant and bar coming to Putney, and it's got an impressive team behind it.

It's a team-up between Ed Baillieu and Callum Ross, who originally met in New Zealand (where Callum is from) and have since worked together as far afield as London, Auckland, Hong Kong and New York. This will be their first project together (opening in the neighbourhood where Ed grew up). The pair have an impressive background in London alone. Callum was GM at The Camberwell Arms and Forza Wine at the National Theatre, while Ed worked at Pitt Cue, Kitty Fisher’s, and Sager & Wilde and was most recently Executive Chef at The Hero in London.

A neighbourhood restaurant and bar at its heart, Callum says, "We’re inspired by those incredible local spots filled with both regulars and newcomers. We want to accommodate everyone, from someone popping in for a single glass of wine and a snack at the bar to a celebration table of fifteen. We love the atmosphere and buzz that great neighbourhoods create." And given their background, it's no surprise to hear him say, "We’re hugely influenced by New Zealand café and restaurant culture, particularly the support and celebration of independents."

The food at Ruth's is described as bistro-style and centred around British food and ingredients. Starting things off, they're planning snacks like oysters and cocktail sausages, fried pickled mussels with curry mayo or Christmas ham with celeriac remoulade. That'll be followed by starters that include terrines, parfaits, and vegetable plates like pumpkin with a vincotto brown-butter sauce.

As for the mains, they'll be looking at mains of large chops and day-boat fish from the UK. There should also be dishes like beef fillet with pickled onion rings and creamed spinach, grilled sweetbreads with lobster butter and a cheese and onion pie.

As for desserts, "we both believe the pudding menu should be generous" says Callum, "and just as strong as the mains offering". So they're planning a grilled lemon tart, banana split sundae, Christmas trifle and a carrot cake ice cream sandwich.

The wine list will also be a big deal, with a regularly changing, accessible list. You can expect "some of our favourite hidden gems such as the Man O War Island Blend from Waiheke Island in New Zealand, Maison Ventenac Tete en L'Air Chardonnay and the first release of Flor de Kotui, a collaboration project which is led by Alex Craighead". Ccoktails include an enzoni, cucumber and chilli margarita and they're also getting a lager created for them by Cheltenham brewery Deya.

The restaurant itself (which takes over the space that was Blades) is split across two rooms, fitting in around 40 people. The bar at the front will be kept back for walk-ins, while the dining room at the back will be "cosier and candlelit".

In all, it sounds like Putney is about to get a fantastic new bar and restaurant - Ruth's is absolutely one to watch.