It was hard not to enter or leave the Devonshire without a broad smile. Open for only four weeks, it has become one of the hottest tickets in town. Even early on a Monday lunchtime, the front of house told us that she had already had to turn away six parties. Your reviewer felt justly smug, having booked when the Devonshire first opened. Two happy hours later, our group of three all left well sated and could comfortably have stayed for longer, had the real world not intervened.
There has been a pub on the site of the Devonshire since 1793. Few will miss its previous iteration, as a Jamie’s Italian. In its current guise, the team of Oisin Rogers (ex-Guinea Grill) and Charlie Carroll (ex-Flat Iron) have delivered an absolute stunner of a venue. Downstairs is a traditional style pub, lovingly restored to its former glory, with wood and alcoves. Pass through a thick red velvet curtain, mount a set of stairs and you are upstairs at the main event – the grill room. The space sits no more than 30 covers and is dominated by a fire in the far corner. By its side sits a pile of freshly cut logs. A man regularly stokes it and adds more kindling. This is where the action happens.
It might all look very cool and casual, but beneath this simplicity lies a clear attention to detail. This is perhaps best evidenced by the lovingly handwritten menu, which may change with some regularity. The team has apparently been working on the winning formula of dishes since at least February. The format is resolutely old school – think of it as a best of British formula with a heavy emphasis on the grilling of meat. Word to the wise: perhaps don’t bring your vegetarian friends here, since there is but one starter and one main that would suit non-carnivores.
Our trio kicked off with pescine starters: scallops for one of our party and a white crab salad for the remaining two. This was a dish of excellence, beautifully presented (as the picture attests) with the soft crab meat pairing off wonderfully with the red chicory in particular. It sated our palates and gave us an impression of what to expect ahead of the mains arriving. Without doubt, there is a certain art attached to grilling meat to perfection, achieving an optimal balance of (smoke) flavour and tenderness. My Iberico pork chop had an immense depth of flavour, with superb juiciness and a decadently fatty edge. My comrades were similarly pleased with their choices, while sides – particularly carrots – also amply delivered.
My only regret – we stuck to water. This was the virtuous choice on a Monday, but the wine list at the Devonshire looked decidedly promising. Next time, there will be no excuses and a clear strategy to linger longer. The Devonshire is certainly a classic in the making.