Open Mon–Fri 11am–11pm, Sat–Sun 9am–11pm
From the team behind Boujis and Eclipse, Bumpkin (as the name suggests) plays on the comforting, nostalgic, farmhouse kitchen feel. This branch is smaller than its South Kensington sister venue with the intimate downstairs brasserie area clustered around the main bar and more formal restaurant area upstairs – think chunky wooden tables, stylishly understated scatter cushions, cheerful window boxes and twinkling candles, these guys have the style spot on.
On our visit there was a reassuring mix of people, from young couples to families.
Bumpkin’s seasonal menu is British with a strong regional feel featuring Suffolk chicken, West Country beef and Scottish sea bass. My starter of mixed mushrooms with parsley and thyme on brown toast (£6.90) was a bit of a let down, the mushrooms had been over cooked and lacked texture and definable flavours. However, my main course more than made up for it. Following my friend Michelle’s recent glowing review of the pork belly (£15.95) I dived straight in and was not disappointed. The meat was moist, tender and well textured with the surrounding fat perfectly crisp. So often the dish can be chewy and overly fatty, but I can safely say I agree with Michelle on this one; it is the best pork belly I have tasted in years.
My dining partner James enjoyed his Gressingham duck (£18.50) with redcurrant sauce; it had deep flavour but was a little dry in places. I could see his eyes zooming in on my plate and luckily for him my dish was so generous there was more than enough to share.
Full from my main, I opted for the light summer berries with vanilla (£5.95) which was the perfect end note to my meal.
In keeping with its British countryside theme, Bumpkin has a wide range of Kentish wines, with a particularly good selection of sparkling English wines. They also have a good selection of wines by the glass and beers on tap, including guest ales. They also have a select number of ciders on offer. Despite their brilliant range of drinks it would be a crime to visit Bumpkin and not eat, whether it is a leisurely brunch or the good old country classic; the Sunday roast.
Meal for two including wine and service £60.
