Smokehouse Chiswick

Editor's note: this restaurant closed in December 2017.

This restaurant opened in April 2015 on the site of what used to be the Hole in the Wall pub. It is the younger sister of Smokehouse in Islington, itself part of a small group of London pubs. It is run by Neil Rankin, who was head chef of Pitt Cue after working at The Latymer, Rhodes 24, Chez Bruce and Barbecoa.  Given the name, the restaurant not surprisingly focuses on grilling and smoking, whether of meat, fish or vegetables.

The wine list had 41 labels and ranged in price from £17.95 to £64.95, with a median price of £29. Example wines were Guy Allion Sauvignon Blanc 2013 at £26.50 for a wine that you can find in the high street for about £9, the very drinkable Beretta Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore 2012 at £33.50 for a wine that retails at about a tenner, and Chateau de Cedbe Malbec 2011 at £39.50 compared to a retail price of £26.

At my first meal during soft opening here I tried a little taste of several dishes.  Portobello mushrooms from Essex with burnt leeks and egg was pleasant. Although the mushrooms had little flavour the egg was good (12/20). Oysters were deep fried with beef fat with smoked marrow and served on crisp toast cooked in aged beef dripping alongside mayonnaise flavoured with the same beef. The beef and oyster combination worked better than it may sound (12/20). Pulled pork shoulder with apple kimchi was my favourite dish of the meal, the pork having plenty of flavour and the spicy pickles of the kimchi a very natural accompaniment, enlivening the dish (15/20).  

Goat tacos had good quality meat smoked for eight hours (a kid goat from Somerset), served with salsa and chipotle mayonnaise. The tacos was a little dense, if for example you compare it with the freshly made ones at Punto MX in Madrid (13/20). Brisket roll came with gochujang, a Korean mayonnaise made from red chilli, rice and fermented soybeans. The brisket was smoked for 14 hours and I found it quite dry but the accompaniment gave a spicy kick (12/20).

Smoked duck with duck heart and warmed goose salami had nice flavour, reflecting the good quality duck from Telmara Farm near Saffron Walden, though the heart is something of an acquired taste (13/20). Korean shortrib had reasonable beef that again was enjoyably enhanced by the Korean spices (13/20). A chocolate tart inspired by Cadbury’s Double Decker was a pleasant riff on a childhood memory, a crispy top on a white chocolate base, with nougat and ganache, accompanied by pistachio ice cream (13/20).

At a second meal I tried the Somerset goat tacos once more. This iinvolved smoking the carcass for ten hours, meat strips torn off the bone and then served with chipotle and a simple green salsa made from coriander, lime and chilli. The tacos itself is bought-in rather than made. This was a pleasant dish, the consistency of the goat a touch stringy in places but having good flavour, and the spices worked well (13/20).

Cow burger had some Korean pulled pork added on top of the pattie, served with a spicy tomato salsa and thin chips. This was also enjoyable, the cow used being a heritage breed called belted Galloway, cooked pink and having plenty of flavour. I particularly liked the tomato salsa, which had a pleasing kick to it (14/20).

Service was friendly and efficient. The bill at my second lunch (my first was at soft opening) came to £23. If you shared a modest bottle of wine and had three courses then a typical cost per head would be around £50. Overall Smokehouse is a good addition to the dining options in Chiswick, a pleasant change from the formulaic chains that infest the main High Road here. The kitchen shows a real affinity for meat cooking in particular, and I found that the Korean spices and pickles are just what is needed to elevate the food out of Fred Flintstone territory.