“The Hart Pub Is On Every Foodie’s Lips – Here’s My Honest Review”
Any foodie worth their salt has heard of The Hero, The Fat Badger, and The Pelican – the holy trinity of West London’s promising gastropub scene. So when it was announced that the same team was opening a new spot on Marylebone’s famed Chiltern Street, our interest was piqued. Fast-forward two months since opening, and The Hart has become one of London’s most sought-after bookings.
The question is: can a no-expense-spared refit, impeccable culinary credentials, and a lot of Instagram anticipation actually deliver more than the sum of its parts? Our Editor, Natasha Harding, went along to find out…
What sets it apart
On arrival, The Hart certainly looks the part. It’s all wood panelling and golden glow, like a pub you dream up on a wintry walk home. The downstairs is lively, even on a Monday, filled with the type of crowd that prides itself on knowing the coolest spots in town.
“We’ve already got a handful of regulars,” the waiter tells me when I ask how it’s been since opening, and it’s easy to understand why. The space is undeniably inviting, and the service is as professional (and practised) as you’d expect from this group. It’s less ‘rowdy boozer’, more ‘vibey date spot’ with decor that transports you to a luxurious yet charming farmhouse, without leaving West London.
For those booked into the restaurant, you make your way through the busy bar and head up a few floors. It’s here that you enter into a quieter, more intimate setup, and it feels like the calmer, relaxed heart of a buzzy destination.
It’s less ‘rowdy boozer’, more ‘vibey date spot’ with decor that transports you to a luxurious yet charming farmhouse, without leaving West London
Natasha, Digital Editor
What we ordered
We kicked off the meal with a glass of Devaux Cœur de Bar Blanc de Noirs Champagne, arguably the best way to start any evening. At £17 a glass, though, the bubbles resembled white wine more than anything sparkling – something confirmed when my guest ordered another glass for their second round. But the drinks aren’t the main event here…
With so much hype, the food has to justify itself. The biggest surprise of the night? The mince roll. It’s the sort of thing most would overlook on the menu, had the waiter not specifically recommended it. As soon as you take a bite, you realise it’s comfort food dialled up: juicy, moreish, and with enough gherkin to nod towards a classic cheeseburger. To complement it, the mackerel with beetroot earns points for freshness and balance, with a smoky element that makes it feel right at home as a wintry starter.
Devaux Cœur de Bar Blanc de Noirs Champagne
the mince roll
It’s the sort of thing most would overlook on the menu, had the waiter not specifically recommended it.
As for mains, they’re pub classics, extremely well-executed. The hake with creamed spinach gets the balance right: flaky fish, crispy skin, spinach rich without being claggy, with a welcome hit of lemon keeping it light. The steak and potatoes is a crowd-pleaser too – succulent, with plenty of butter, served alongside deliciously smashed potatoes infused with garlic and rosemary goodness.
steak and potatoes, hake and creamed spinach, and baby gem lettuce
banoffee pie
The unsuspecting baby gem lettuce salad is a lesson in taking simple things seriously – the leaves were crisp and the mustard dressing suitably punchy. Granted, the salad is hardly a destination plate, but it perfectly offsets the other dishes, which indeed are.
The standout order of the night was, without a doubt, the decadent banoffee pie… It might just be the best dessert I’ve had all year.
The standout order of the night was, without a doubt, the decadent banoffee pie. As you plunge your fork into the generous serve, it passes through a smooth layer of whipped cream, pureed and thinly sliced banana, thick sticky caramel, before breaking the crisp biscuit base. It might just be the best dessert I’ve had all year.
The verdict
If you think this is just another fancy pub that’s been overhyped, think again. Yes, it’s buzzy. And yes, your friends will want to know how it is. But on visiting The Hart, it’s clear that it strikes the balance between style and substance. There’s a sense that the kitchen cares about both the ingredients and the classics it’s riffing on.
Standout dishes, like that comfortingly juicy mince roll or the steak with crispy rosemary potatoes, show flashes of real skill, while the banoffee pie alone justifies pencilling The Hart onto your repeat visit list. So, in response to the question, ‘is it deserving of its Marylebone buzz?’, the answer is an enthusiastic ‘Yes’ – even if the champagne was a little flat, the food and atmosphere more than made up for it.
There’s a sense that the kitchen cares about both the ingredients and the classics it’s riffing on.
