Thursday 12 August (aka the Glorious Twelfth) will see the re-commencement of the red grouse shooting season across England and Scotland and that means game will be returning to London's restaurants once the first day’s shoot is over. Here's where you'll be able to find it in London.
Wiltons
55 Jermyn St, St. James's, London SW1Y 6LX
Of course, somewhere like Wiltons will have grouse on the menu. They serve it old school, roasted and served with game crisps, bread sauce, breadcrumbs, grouse sauce, grouse liver pate and of course watercress. There's also celeriac puree served alongside it. You can expect to see it on the menu here from the evening of the twelfth, usually.
Follow on Instagram: @wiltons1742
Kitchen W8
11-13 Abingdon Rd, London W8 6AH
Phil Howard's Kensington restaurant has two game options on offer this year. First, there's a Glorious Grouse dish (18-22 August and from 1 September onwards) with roast Yorkshire grouse served with smoked celeriac, damson, liver and bacon. Following that will be a six-course game menu featuring partridge, hare, venison and mallard (12-24 October).
Follow on Instagram: @kitchenw8
Hunters Moon
86 Fulham Rd, South Kensington, London SW3 6HR
This Fulham pub is going to have plenty of game on throughout the various seasons, with daily changing specials. Grouse will be served the traditional way - roasted with sautéed foie gras, game chips, puréed bread sauce and ‘Koffman’ cabbage with shallots, garlic bacon and white wine.
Follow on Instagram: @huntersmoonsw3
Gymkhana
42 Albemarle St, London W1S 4JH
From 20 August you'll be able to order a six-course Hunters’ tasting menu at this Mayfair celebrity magnet, which features treats like grouse samosa and grouse tikki pao alongside other game like roe deer chop and muntjac biryani.
Follow on Instagram: @GymkhanaLondon
Cinnamon Club
The Old Westminster Library, Great Smith St, Westminster, London SW1P 3BU
This is the Westminster outpost for Vivek Singh's Indian restaurant group. They'll be serving a special dish of delicately spiced clove smoked grouse breast, chickpea bread, hot-sweet pumpkin and game keema, served with creamy black lentils from 16 August for three months
Follow on Instagram: @thecinnamoncollection
La Poule au Pot
231 Ebury St, Belgravia, London SW1W 8UT
Classic french bistro and sister restaurant to Maggie Jones, this restaurant has kept its classic French decor since the 60s and also has a very handy terrace. Grouse will be served alongside celeriac mash, red cabbage with game sauce and will be available from the second week of August.
Follow on Instagram: @lapouleaupotrestaurant
Find out more about La Poule au Pot
Also look for...
- L'Escargot in Soho will have grouse on the "a la carte" menu from 13 August. They're served with game chips, breadcrumbs, bread sauce and jus and accompanied by a grouse liver croute and a lamb's lettuce salad with a lemon vinaigrette.
- The Ritz Restaurant will have Grouse, Celeriac, Juniper and Walnut on the menu, sourced from the Yorkshire Moors
- La Poule au Pot's sister restaurant Maggie Jones is also serving trad grouse from mid-August.
- Rules are warning of a shortage in supply, so they're advising you book ahead for their grouse.
- Darby’s will be serving grouse from 12 August cooked over burning wood embers, with confit legs cooked in hay smoked butter in a cassoulet of fresh coco beans and served with a side of roast beetroots and fresh water cress.
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