The husband and I were in desperate need of a date night so we thought we’d try out The Hampshire Hog in Hammersmith to see what all the fuss was about.
Opened a year ago in October by the people behind the fabulous Engineer in Primrose Hill, this place had a reputation to live up to. We used to love going to the Engineer so I was intrigued as to how it would compare.
Situated in a rather un pre-possessing part of King Street, we were quickly won over by the buzz of the place. It’s a large airy space with mis-matched tables and chairs in front and more formal dining out back. The design is funky, chic village bistro with service to match. We were looked after beautifully from beginning to end by the very knowledgeable staff. These guys know their food and their wine which is always a positive sign – we certainly felt like we were in good hands.
I went for the interesting combination of asparagus with poached egg and pink grapefruit. Husband had the slow cooked spiced lamb on toast with pomegranate and every bite of both starters was sublime. For main course I went for the home made basil gnocchi with pea shoots which I have to say was totally delicious and a very generous portion to boot.
The Hampshire Hog has excellent pre-dinner cocktails as well as an extensive wine list and when the wine we wanted was out of stock, the staff were swiftly able to recommend a suitable and excellent alternative.
The place is busy and can get noisy, a funny story is when the waitress explained the cocktail I’d ordered in great detail but the only word I caught was ‘campari’. Luckily it tasted very good. This is fine if you are in the mood for a buzzy night out, but not if you’re looking for romantic small talk.
The Hampshire Hog is not cheap but you definitely get what you pay for and this place is a serious competitor for other local stalwarts like the Anglesea and the Princess Victoria. I returned for lunch with a friend a couple of weeks later and am pleased to say that the atmosphere, food and service were equally as good. If you fancy a good night out, friendly staff, a cocktail and some great food this is the place to go.
The Hampshire Hog is at 227 King Street, London, W6 9JT.
For more information or to book please visit:
www.thehampshirehog.com or call 0208 748 339
Come by the Hampshire Hog tomorrow for our Summer Fair! There will be activities for the little ones and over 30 local businesses showcasing all their wares.
This posting was contributed by Annabelle King who lives in Shepherds Bush. After a crazy ten year career in advertising, she gave it all up to be bossed about by her three little girls. Her blog The Bush Babies was started in 2007, where she writes about the highs and lows of parenthood and raising three little girls in London.
