The Boathouse, Putney - review

Putney Wharf on a Saturday night is not often a prospect that brings clean, confident pub food to mind; too often one is accosted by the brash noise of various Hugos and Isabellas to really enjoy any ventures at culinary sophistication. Despite being sandwiched between a rammed Carluccio’s and a relatively sedate Wetherspoon’s, though, The Boathouse, a sprawling Young’s-owned gastropub perched by the river, manages to retain some semblance of gentility. This is mainly due to its dedicated upstairs restaurant section, including a mezzanine outdoor area which separates the eaters from the drinkers and almost makes the dining environment feel secluded.

We were seated, choosing outside, and ordered the baked camembert with garlic bread and rocket salad as a sharing starter, with drinks. (At this point, I will digress: my first choice for the main course, the cod and chips, came with “peas and tartare sauce”. When I asked the personable waitress if said peas could be mushed, she said she didn’t know. I, prissily, said that if the peas could not be mushed, I would take a second option of calves’ liver – but more of that later.) The camembert came, was gooey, sloppy and magnificent, however limp and over-seasoned the accompanying salad, and quickly went again. During the course, though, the absence of natural light outside meant that, by the time our mains arrived, we were in semi-darkness with few alternatives other than to squint manfully at our food.

This was a shame, as our arriving mains seemed to look impeccable, in particular the theatrical moules mariniere, a snip at £8 for an individual portion. My cod and chips, though, were conspicuous by their absence, replaced by the liver; I felt it a real shame that the restaurant was unable to alter their basic practice of putting out resolutely un-mushed peas in even a small way, even though the liver itself was sufficiently tender to escape the often-cloying nature of the dish. Twinning it with rather mundane carrots, green beans and mash was less than inventive, however.

On the other side of the table, the mussels were an aromatic triumph, perfectly cooked and ably supported by a lively garlic and white wine sauce. The overall atmosphere, meanwhile, was aided immensely by the space between bottom and top floor – what could have been overly boisterous and stifling was in fact refreshingly busy, lending a sense of occasion missing from many pubs with aspirations towards genuinely good food.

The evening, then, while blighted by several small imperfections, was pleasant and surprisingly good value. The setting is pretty, the staff are friendly and, perhaps most importantly, this all transpires alongside the busily fraternal bar below and not despite it. The Boathouse is a comfortable pub serving comfortable food at reasonable prices, which is in itself a small treasure.

2 courses with drinks – £50

6/10