The Sands End

Sand’s End is tucked away in an unlikely corner of Fulham, vaguely near Parson’s Green at the end of a residential street. The dining area is at one end of the premises, but unlike some gastropubs this still very much feels like a pub. There are no tablecloths, and specials and bar snacks are written up on a blackboard. The table we had was quite low, which may have accounted for the little chairs provided, which felt a little as if we had entered an episode of Land of the Giants.

The current chef (Tom Coleman) has put together an easy-on-the-eye menu of British bar snacks and dishes. Starters are mostly £6 - £8, main courses £12.50 - £16.50, vegetables £3 and desserts are £5.50. The two page wine list is mostly French, but also skirts the New World. It starts at £3.80 a glass. Domain Kotare Sauvignon Blanc was listed at £24.50 for a wine that will cost you about £10 in the shops, while Grand Puy Lacoste 2002 was £55 compared to a retail price of around £22, as examples. Bread is made from scratch, white rolls that were a rather doughy even for me, but at least someone had bothered to make the bread (4/10).

A scotch egg was warm and nicely made, quartered with a hard-boiled centre, pleasant though a long way from the masterpiece at the Harwood Arms but is just £2 (3/10). Goujons of bream had a light batter and served with tartare sauce (4/10). Pork crackling was crisp and tasty, served with Bramley apple sauce (3/10). A tian of crab was pleasant, with decent crab (3/10). My lemon sole was served whole and offered with good peas and a little pancetta; I find lemon sole a rather dull fish, but it was properly cooked, as were the peas (3/10). Bream with crab risotto again had well-timed fish, though the risotto was a bit slushy in texture, and needed more crab flavour in the stock; the chef should take a trip to the Sportsman in Kent to see how this should be done (3/10).

Desserts were mixed. I had a very pleasant lemon parfait with lime jelly and mango coulis (3/10) but Stella’s cherry clafoutis was a bit of train wreck. It did use real cherries, but the texture was nearly liquid, and why pumpkin seeds were added is a mystery that only the chef can solve (0/10). It did not help that I had eaten some stunning cherry clafoutis in Lyon last week, but even so.

Service was extremely good from our well-spoken English waiter. Ignoring the clafoutis, the food here was very pleasant indeed, and certainly a major step up from normal pub food. However, if you were in this area, you have the alternative of the Harwood Arms, and that is not a tricky decision to make.

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