Fallow stands out among London’s growing number of eco-conscious restaurants as the star attraction. At Fallow, its chefs Will Murray and Jack Croft (both former Heston Blumenthal disciples) make sustainability central to their food philosophy with inventive dishes like corn ribs with lovage ketchup.
Other stand-out features of the restaurant are its cloud-like mushroom parfait made with freshly harvested shiitake and grey oyster mushrooms as well as its Chelsea tart with caramelised whey.
Menu
Will Murray and Jack Croft of Dinner by Heston Blumenthal fame are the culinary forces behind this Mayfair eatery, along with James Robson as owner. Together they take an approach that celebrates creative cooking while adhering to sustainable principles – it’s hard to go wrong when it comes to food!
The kitchen at Esher’s kitchen sources its ingredients from all across the UK – as well as from its own small holding near Esher – with an emphasis on whole animal butchery and on-site meat aging.
Start off right! Our Tunworth cheese flatbread, covered in truffle shavings and served alongside grilled sweetcorn ribs, was a delightful combination of the sweet flavor of corn with the richness of cheese. Next came crab cake, pickled lemon and purslane – another dish which demonstrated our kitchen’s meticulous attention to detail; delicate crab pieces were delicately balanced against sharp pickled lemon and fresh purslane leaves for an excellent dish that highlighted all that the kitchen can offer.
As our main course, we selected the dairy cow rib of beef with condiments to share. Chefs use retired dairy cows – an often underutilized part of food chains – and dry age each piece to bring out its flavour. It could rival any top London steakhouse thanks to its delicious umami notes and robust texture without overbearingly rich taste.
Service
Fallow Restaurant stands out among London’s growing number of environmentally conscious eateries as it stands out for its environmentally sustainable focus and sustainable cooking techniques (as evidenced by their nose-to-tail, root-to-stem approach). Chef Will Murray and Jack Croft cut their teeth at Dinner by Heston Blumenthal before venturing on their own at Fallow Restaurant, possibly due to this association, or maybe just simply because of their passion.
Enjoy sitting in the cozy front room while perusing their menu of small and large plates, grilled and raw dishes made from algae paper. Don’t miss the delicious grilled corn ribs made from tender strips of sweetcorn skinned from the cob and dusted with kombu seasoning for that succulent barbecue-d loin back taste, or the mushroom parfait made of rich puree of shiitake mushrooms topped with beautifully caramelised grey oyster mushrooms and shaved fennel which makes an irresistible treat too!
The team’s skill in artfully pairing ingredients to each other is evident throughout their menu, from starters like crab cake with pickled lemon and purslane to desserts such as rhubarb souffle or Chelsea tart with Kappacasein Dairy-sourced whey, to an impressive drinks list including biodynamic wines and classic cocktails to round out an exquisite dining experience.
Atmosphere
Fallow found its home in St James’s after a three-month pop-up at rotating residency joint 10 Heddon Street. Helmed by Dinner by Heston Blumenthal alumni Will Murray and Jack Croft, Fallow pledges its dedication to sustainable thinking and creative cooking through nose-to-tail dining, root-to-stem dining and the transformation of everyday ingredients to taste extraordinary.
Navy blue, dark wood and an expansive bar that reaches into the open kitchen create an inviting ambiance at this restaurant, offering luxurious yet not overtly opulent fare. Their menu, focused on small plates and with more sustainable practices and seasonal products than before.
Chefs here clearly take great pride in what they serve, and this passion shows in the food they create. Cod’s head would likely be unthinkable in other restaurants; here, it makes for a visual feast with its glassy eyes and mouth covered in house-made sriracha butter and vivid orange glaze. But it’s what lies underneath that counts most; by seasoning and grilling over charcoal until crispy and smoky flavor has been brought out, transforming something that normally goes in the bin into something to experience rather than simply being consumed as sustenance. Even humble brassica such as cabbage receives additional flavour thanks to black garlic and chestnuts – an experience not normally found elsewhere!
Value
Will Murray and Jack Croft are not just experienced hospitality operators – both are veterans who worked alongside Heston Blumenthal. So it comes as no surprise that Fallow prides itself on serving delicious cuisine that uses local sourcing techniques while still remaining sustainable; here lesser ingredients get an opportunity to shine without anything being wasted!
It’s easy to see why this bar is such a success with the crowd (it gets busy!). Most patrons on a weeknight evening tend to be either students or young professionals and the bar is packed. The atmosphere is relaxed yet elegant while its front of house staff are warm, attentive and eager to please their clients.
If you’re in search of quick bite, the restaurant offers an assortment of small plates and snacks under fiver for starters; all their portions are big enough to share! Plus there’s a burger as well as a mixed sharing platter to satisfy hunger quickly!
One of the standout dishes on the menu are fried corn strips topped with kombu salt, Old Bay seasoning and smoked paprika – they have become extremely popular on TikTok and should definitely be tried if you want something unique yet not too fussy. Also worth exploring are their tasty burgers and their satisfying fries; make sure not to miss these great bites of deliciousness.