Among London gastropubs, the past 12 months has seen The Knave of Clubs open in Shoreditch, The Prince Arthur in Belgravia, and The Hound in Chiswick. Now, south London is getting in on the action with the arrival of The Kerfield Arms in Camberwell. The newcomer comes courtesy of the team behind The Baring in Hoxton, which has climbed to number 17 on the Top 50 Gastropubs list since opening three years ago.
Wallpaper* dines at The Kerfield Arms, London
The mood: stylish simplicity
Owners Adam Symonds and Rob Tecwyn designed the look of The Kerfield themselves, to create, they say, ‘a very stripped-back pub aesthetic – we’re just trying to create a nice environment for people to sit in.’ By day, natural light floods the grand corner site, where wood-heavy interiors are painted in Farrow & Ball’s Wimborne White. Come evening, art deco lanterns sourced from Cooling & Cooling illuminate the corners that candlelight can’t quite reach. A large bar area accommodates drinkers and walk-in diners, while a separate dining room caters for relaxed lunches and suppers.
The food: humble ingredients go haute
Symonds and Tecwyn have promoted Baring head chef Jay Styler to partner in the business, and he has repaid their trust with a menu of butch simplicity and an emphasis on provenance and seasonality: fried pig’s head with smoked eel and warm tartare sauce, followed by ricotta and nettle dumplings with broad beans and wild garlic buttermilk, and a 70 per cent Cru Virunga chocolate and olive oil mousse for afters. Sunday lunches of charcoal-grilled Vendée chicken, piattoni beans and bread sauce continue in the same vein, while anyone in search of a bargain should check out the weekday lunch deal comprising a main course with a pint of beer or a glass of wine.
The Kerfield Arms is located at 16 Grove Lane, London SE5 8SY, UK; thekerfieldarms.co.uk
-
Louise Trotter’s debut collection for Bottega Veneta was about a feeling of ‘liberation’Taking place this afternoon in Milan, the much-anticipated debut saw the Sunderland-born designer dive into the house’s ‘candy box’ of craft for a bold collection which explored ideas of personal freedom
-
How did Courtney Love inspire this New York art exhibition?Liza Jo Eilers looks to the glory days of Hole at an exhibition at Grimm New York
-
Buy yourself a Sanctuary, a serene house above the British Columbia landscapeThe Sanctuary was designed by BattersbyHowat for clients who wanted a contemporary home that was also a retreat into nature. Now it’s on the market via West Coast Modern
-
Wallpaper* checks in at Mason & Fifth, Westbourne ParkA cultural hub disguised as a hospitality concept, Mason & Fifth’s latest property in west London is ambitious, youthful and extroverted
-
A striking restaurant now crowns Renzo Piano’s ‘glass cube’ building in PaddingtonSkyscraper dining always carries a sense of glamour – and Cé La Vi delivers it at full pitch
-
Here’s what to order (and admire) at Carbone LondonNew York’s favourite, and buzziest, Italian restaurant arrives in the British capital, marking the brand’s first expansion into Europe
-
A first look inside Kudu Marylebone, where South African dining meets contemporary designA beloved South-African restaurant relocates to central London, featuring Fabled Studio-designed interiors that thread in African tones and textures
-
Carmela’s joins London’s pizza renaissanceA Little Italy-inspired pizzeria lands in Islington with 13-inch pies, pepperoni heat and big flavour energy
-
Has the ice cream parlour come of age?A global wave of architecture studios is treating the scoop as spectacle, turning parlours into immersive social spaces
-
Legado brings a bold Spanish legacy to ShoreditchMichelin-starred chef Nieves Barragán Mohacho’s second venture marries design-led interiors with regional Spanish flavours rarely found in London
-
The Macbeth, an icon of indie sleaze, goes from grotty to gastroAn East End legend meets Portuguese small plates in Jamie Allan’s ambitious revival of a beloved Hackney watering hole
