24 The Oval review: Self-assured cooking means there is finally a good reason to go

Daniel Hambury/@stellapicsltd

Halfway through a magical mushroom ravioli that I never wanted to end, I realised that I was going to have to reconsider my position on Oval.

Unless you have a personal connection to the area, or enjoy cricket, it’s easy to bypass this stretch of south London.

Harsher critics wonder if it’s even generous to call it an area. There’s a smattering of congenial Portuguese restaurants but that does not a hotspot make; the only decent coffee shop is closer to Kennington and even those loyal to the area admit that for a proper meal you have to schlep to Brunswick House in Vauxhall, or Stockwell’s The Canton Arms.

So 24 The Oval was very wanted. Especially if, like me, you live north of the river and wonder why you can’t meet friends from the deepest south halfway, here in south London lite.

It starts at an advantage, ticking every box of the London restaurant holy grail — it has that rare commodity, outside space, it’s easy for everyone to get to and not prohibitively expensive. There is an experienced team behind it — Matt Wells, co-owner of The Dairy (one of two reasons to go to Clapham) and Andrew Bradford from The Knife steakhouse (the other reason to go to Clapham). They’ve recruited chefs from The Dairy, Wild Honey and Paradise Garage and given them the freedom to develop their own take on ingredients-led dishes in an unpretentious setting.

Bowled over: the asparagus with pickled radishes
©Stella Pictures Limited

When we went on a Thursday evening, the plant-decked terrace was instantly inviting — buzzy with people drinking goblets of the house cocktail (Teeling’s Whiskey, Honey, Thyme and Fever Tree Ginger Beer but it changes according to mood) under wide blue Pol Roger umbrellas.

Floor-to-ceiling windows mean plenty of natural light falls on the dining room, which has lovingly distressed wooden tables. Orchids and succulents in terracotta pots are dotted around and everything looks worn down and informal, but well-made. A soundtrack of Van Morrison, The Temptations and Otis Redding makes for excellent music to eat seasonal food to.

The crowd was mixed: young professionals taking their parents out for a meal somewhere novel but unintimidating and comfortable, women having a long gossipy dinner and, because this is Oval, a lone man in a cricket jumper. Staff stayed calm in the rush, welcoming us with a plate of gougères (gloriously light puffs of savoury profiterole) for dipping in warm cheese fondue to tide us over while we ploughed through four separate menus — à la carte, tasting, and vegetarian versions of both.

In a refreshing break from the new norm, this is not a small-plates place. You get a proper large one to yourself, so you feel like you’ve actually had a meal rather than been on an unsatisfying pick-and-mix tour of canapé morsels.

If you must get something to share, the snacks do the job. Charcuterie is made in-house and I wanted to tell everyone I loved to try the bresaola — thin slices of salty-sweet satisfaction. There’s also fresh mackerel pâté, and aged butter, whipped up with buttermilk, which turns it into a dish in itself — and a perky one at that.

The chefs brought their creations up from the kitchen, a look of busy exhilaration on their faces. My giant mushroom ravioli decked with white flowers looked like a pretty sunhat. It arrived with an element of theatre — the chef poured bone marrow broth over it at our table, lifting his tiny jug high.

This dish sums up the 24 Oval approach — a perfectly judged combination of distinct flavours and elements that you want to pile up on your fork so you can taste them together. The filling and sauce chimed beautifully. I didn’t know there were so many varieties of mushroom, each with its own nuance, taste and texture. This is a dish that makes you feel wholesome and nourished.

A single spear of asparagus was grilled to give a smoky first bite before giving way to juicy spring freshness, and came with an invigoratingly creamy/sharp combo of fresh curd and pickled radishes. They may be simple ingredients but it’s a mystery how they were made to taste so intoxicating.

Our vegetarian stint ended with the starters. Poached chicken breast, crispy wing, toasted bread sauce, gem lettuce and peas was another pitch-perfect dish. Velvety, succulent meat barely needed to be cut, the peas were bouncy fresh from the pod and the aromatic bread sauce made me wonder why I don’t eat it more often. The lettuce was grilled — which is usually unnecessary but here enhanced the sweetness. Pork haunch was slightly overdone but that’s a minor quibble, redeemed by subtly spiced gnocchi and artichoke.

This is carefully thought-through food. There’s nothing intimidating or showy here, rather it’s self-assured, with no panicked recourse to unfamiliar ingredients just to stand out.

There’s a well-selected wine list. In the summery spirit of the terrace we drank rosé; a crisp Chateau Gassier, Cuvee Loubiero, Cotes de Provence.

There are just three desserts. Chocolate mousse was delectable; glossy, buoyant and spiked with grains of brown sugar and booze-soaked raisins for contrasting textures. It comes with a silken dollop of home-made bourbon ice cream that mixes pleasingly with the mousse for a high-end take on a frappuccino.

Poached Yorkshire rhubarb held its body rather than dissolving into a stringy mass as often is the case. The musky fruit cut through the sugary marinade. It came in a pool of rhubarb jam with a gentle milk ice cream (just as good as vanilla) and shards of meringue that had a chewy, caramelised taste. I’ll be back to try the treacle tart.

Strictly speaking, 24 The Oval is a neighbourhood restaurant. But it has enough going for it to draw people from beyond. Oval residents who have grown accustomed to having the area to themselves had better prepare for an invasion.

24 Clapham Road, SW9 (24theoval.co.uk). Open Wednesday to Thursday for dinner and Friday to Sunday for lunch. A meal for two with wine about £65, including service.

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