The Black Lamb is the sixth restaurant from foodie duo Richard and Oliver Gladwin who, considering they opened their last two restaurants within six months of each other, we can only assume never sleep. Located in the centre of picturesque Wimbledon Village, their latest offering follows the same sustainable ‘what grows together, goes together’ mantra as the rest of their ventures – a catchy tagline that’s more than just hot air.
The name might conjure images of a cosy country pub, but this is unmistakably a restaurant, although it hasn’t stopped them from having fun with the décor. Higgledy-piggledy-placed artwork evokes the feel of a Mad Hatter’s tea party, while cheeky wallpaper depicting carrots in the shape of legs got a laugh from us.
Seasonality is a big thing here and, although the menu certainly isn’t vegetarian, vegetables and fresh produce do play a starring role in every dish. A starter of buttermilk fried chicken pieces gets a fresh spin with splodges of lovage and pea puree, the hot batter pleasingly offset by sweet, spring ingredients. Two bite-sized mackerel cornettos arrived exactly as one would imagine: crisp cones filled with mackerel pate and caviar. They were utterly delightful, although sadly over in two bites.
We do feel obliged to mention that there was a spot of confusion with our main course. What was supposed to be a pea and mint orzotto arrived as a bowl of pearl barley with peas and spring onions, which we couldn't help feel wasn’t really a fair trade, especially for £18. Elsewhere, a few dishes lacked punch and seasoning. Our final dish was a good one though: a rich slice of chocolate torte paired with a tangy crème fraiche sorbet.
You can wash all of the above down with one of the wines made at the family vineyard in West Sussex if you like, although we weren’t drinking on the night and a zingy apple and elderflower mocktail hit the spot nicely.