Named after the gardens it graces, this restaurant has a Hamptons-meets-the-Highlands look that resembles a busy conservatory. Soumak rugs and the open kitchen framed by jars of preserved vegetable jars set the curated-homely tone for Matt Moran’s tribute to garden-to-plate dining. Yes, you’ll see lamb from the Moran family farm, plus a seasonal map of the kitchen garden that supplies leaves, herbs and beets. Chiswick attracts a well-groomed crowd with a weakness for flavoursome, uncomplicated fare: roast chickens, sea-farmed barramund, slow-roasted fall-off-the-bone shoulders from those Moran lambs. Simple doesn’t always mean predictable, either: honeycomb in the beet salad is a pleasant surprise, as is the zinginess of minty pea purée with the spanner crab. The venue has a happy buzz and the service is mostly snappy. Turn to the potent wine list, sit back and relax. Moran’s ‘country’ hospitality delivers.
This review was made independently for the Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide. The guide’s reviewers visit unannounced and pay their way.
Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide
Wine: ★ ★
Gourmet Traveller’s star-ratings, which range from zero to three stars, reflect reviewers’ first-hand experiences. The best-rated restaurants form our national Top 100. Our wine ratings, from zero to three stars, are made by wine editor Max Allen on the strength of the quality of the restaurant’s wine list. View our rating key here.
