Open Mon–Thu midday–midnight; Fri midday–1am; Sat 9am–1am; Sun midday–11.30pm
The style:
Launched in May this year, Lowcountry looks smart and fresh on Fulham High Street. In true American style, it’s big (my friend Alex and I felt slighty dwarfed by our giant booth) but very comfortable. The whole place is open-plan and spacious, so great for after-work parties and gatherings – the smokehouse in the outdoor seating area adds to the social vibe. There’s also a couple of TV screens with sports on – but high up out of the way so as not to be the main feature. Exposed brick walls, wooden floors and leather tabletops create a rustic effect that somehow makes the large space cosy.
The crowd:
A young after-work crowd multiplied fast on our Tuesday night visit; interestingly, mostly women, despite the underlying sports and meat theme. They seemed settled in for a night of drinks, bar snacks and good company.
The food:
Head chef Jennifer Ryan is aiming to challenge British misconceptions about American food with her tour of the southern wilds of the US. I have to admit I get quite excited seeing Gumbo, Succotash and Pecan Pie – but there are intriguing British twists on the menu too, such as an entire section of the menu ‘on ice’ (including Whitstable oysters and Dorset crab meat). You can even chose your ‘local lobster’ from the tank in the open kitchen.
We were told we must try the fried green tomatoes (£4.95) which were crisp on the outside and fresh and juicy on the inside, with a delicious homemade blue cheese dressing. Alex and I decided to share the half pound of succulent barbeque bourbon shrimp (£13.95). Alex went for the ‘fall off the bone’ rack of ribs with a sweet barbeque sauce. My pan-seared trout (£14.50) was cooked well with a crispy skin and a mound of fresh salad. Another must-try was the spicy cheese grits (£3.50) – a kind of course polenta with a porridge-like texture that was worth trying but turned out to be a delicasy that we couldn’t quite appreciate. I finished my meal with the Pecan Pie (£6) which had a good gooey texture and came with fresh summer berries, as did Alex’s ‘something chocolatey’ – a rich chocolate torte.
The drinks:
The descriptive wine list highlights two English wines among many others, several of which are available by the glass. We were in more of a cocktail mood and went for a Honey Mule (dark rum, honey, elderflower cordial and ginger beer) and a passionfruit caipirinha with fresh passionfruit seeds. Both were delicious.
