The King’s Head Teddington – It’s been a few years since we’d visited the King’s Head in Teddington High Street, so when I was sent an update about the new spring menu, we decided it was high time to check it out again…and I am so glad we did. So often one tends to follow the herd and check out new restaurant openings, but it’s important that we don’t forget the longstanding stalwarts: there’s a good reason why they are still going strong.
The pub is part of Heartwood Inns and has been thoughtfully split: the front part being a ‘proper pub’ while the rear focuses more on dining. There’s a lovely courtyard at the back, and the night we went was the first decent sunny day we’d had this spring, so it was comfortably busy with diners enjoying this surprise warm evening. We chose a table overlooking the courtyard to enjoy the best of both worlds. We could also watch the skill of the chefs in the open kitchen.
DJ, the lovely assistant manager took us through the menu and pointed out the special offer as it was a Wednesday night: Steak Night. For every two steaks ordered there’s a bottle of house red or white wine offered plus a choice of three complimentary chef’s sauces. A great offer, but we were there to check out the latest menu, so steaks will have to wait for another Wednesday night.
I enjoyed a particularly good Negroni, while my husband was pleased to discover that The King’s Head has Lucky Saint on draught, so enjoyed a nice cold pint. Incidentally there is an excellent cocktail menu and a Happy Hour 2 for 1 most evenings on selected drinks and cocktails but do check the website for details.
To start, my husband chose the deep-fried goat’s cheese and black olive parcel. It was served with frisée salad, rosemary oil, balsamic reduction and tomato chutney. He declared it to be an excellent combination, and really tasty, but to be honest, he felt the portion was slightly on the small side, especially considering the generosity of the portions for the rest of the meal.
I had chosen the Devon crab and avocado, comprising brown crab mayonnaise, pink grapefruit, coriander, spiced corn and toasted garlic croutons. It was beautifully presented, again on a bed of frisée with the dressing cleverly placed underneath, and the toasted garlic croutons were a pair of lovely warm slices of toasted baguette. I’d forgotten how well grapefruit works with crab, being less astringent and brown crab meat is always so delicious. The spiced corn added a gentle heat and change of texture to the dish.
My pie loving husband quite naturally chose the chicken, ham hock and leek pie, served with smooth mash, tenderstem broccoli and mustard sauce. He was delighted to be served a ‘real pie’ that was packed with a meaty filling. The mustard sauce was served warm, in a separate container and was a great accompaniment.
The Malabar fish curry had hooked me at first glance, and I was so glad I chose it. It was spice-roasted cod, grilled king prawn, coconut rice and toasted coconut chips. It was fabulous. There was a very generous portion of cod that had been marinated and added to the sauce after cooking. The sauce was a triumph, so fragrant with subtle spicing and the toasted coconut was a tasty finishing touch.
Having witnessed the skill in the kitchen, we couldn’t resist a dessert. Our lovely server Thea mentioned that the pistachio soufflé was a house speciality, so I chose that, while my husband opted for rhubarb and custard with honeycomb.
I was bowled over by the soufflé. The ramekin had been lined with dark cocoa and it was served with a portion of chocolate ice cream. To be honest the ice cream wasn’t really needed as the soufflé itself was the star of the show. It was so light, so nutty and just melted in the mouth. It really was a triumph and one of the best soufflés I’ve had.
The rhubarb and custard was a clever take on a trifle, with chunks of fresh rhubarb, but without the cake element. It was pronounced delicious, and in fact ended up being supplemented by my portion of chocolate ice cream as I was so enamoured of the soufflé, that I didn’t need it.
The King’s Head has such a good menu, with something for everyone. There are plenty of interesting vegetarian and vegan options with clever attention to seasonal ingredients. There’s also a great bar snacks menu and a range of nibbles and sharing plates. I was also pleased to see that the steak is from Aubrey Allen, so I know it will be top-notch, but that’s for our next visit.
The Seasoned Gastronome