Review by Piers from London
Harrison's opened up on the old Balham Bar and Kitchen site in Balham back in 2007 and I am pleased to say it seems to be doing rather well.
The wife and I pitched up for dinner on a Thursday evening just after 8pm and the place was more than half full, with a very welcoming buzz - not so noisy that you can't hear yourself think and not so quiet that you feel you have to whisper to your dining partner. Because the bar and kitchen are in the centre of this largish restaurant (90 covers), there is always pace, vibrancy and something to watch if your fellow scoffers are running a bit late.
The concept is 'informal brasserie' with something on offer at pretty much any time of day. During the summer months the doors are flung back and Harrison's turns into rather a nice place for a coffee and croissant. Events for Mums and babies as well as bridge fiends ensure that it stays busy during the day and the evening pulls in the Balham massive. Well not quite. The 30 somethings will be pleased to hear that this is quite a grown up restaurant - well to do Balhamites with a bit of cash to spend without the rowdiness that some of the pubs on the Balham High Rd attract. It is somewhere between The Exhibit and Lamberts, two other Balham restaurants that regular readers know I am quite partial to.
There is a cocktail of the day, which makes a great start to your dinner, although the wife and I were very good and just ordered a 500ml carafe of Rose - a French 07 priced around £14 which was reasonable for the quality. The wine list has something for everyone so you won't go thirsty and for people still drinking bottled water, the eco trendy Belu is on offer.
To the menu...
'Something to Start' included Cream of Mushroom Soup for a credit crunching £5, Goat's Curd on Toast (errmmm), Steamed Mussels, Charcuterie and a load more. Average starter price £7.50. I went for the Asparagus since it's in season, topped with a poached egg and Hollandaise sauce. It's always a good testing dish for the kitchen, because there is nothing worse can lukewarm or cold egg and hollandaise. Fortunately the dish was piping hot, the asparagus was as fresh as anything and the sauce was creamy and not over-powering. Full marks so far.
'Something to follow' included Roast Pumpkin and Ricotta Tortellone, Grilled Salmon Fillet, Free Range Chicken and the Slow Roast Belly of Pork, which I had. The mains are priced very reasonably at around £13. The pork was good with excellent crackling. The Carrot and Swede Puree that it came with was average, as was the apple sauce on the side. My wife's Calves Liver was excellent. Both portion sizes were generous and the dishes rich enough that we struggled to find room for dessert.
Puddings were very good. The sorbets were very fruity and the home-made truffles were delicious.
Harrison's is also offering a 2 course set menu for £14 and 3 courses for £17 so you can't go wrong.
Service was extremely efficient and our waitress was smiley and helpful.
I will definitely be revisiting Harrison's - it's nice to go somewhere that is run efficiently, informally, without pretences or delusions or grandeur and that doesn't cost the earth. It's only a few minutes walk from Balham tube and worth the trip.