The Silver Birch

Not enough people are talking about The Silver Birch just yet, but they will be. This neighbourhood restaurant on Chiswick High Road is serving some of the most exciting, competent and delicious food in West London, a feat that’s owed in great part to head chef Nathan Cornwell. His prestigious career speaks for itself, including a recent stint at The Barn at Moor Hall, but the level of competency and finesse across every aspect of our meal clearly denotes the makings of a truly great chef.

Scandi-style design mixed with industrial elements create a warm and stylish space. Soft greens and creams with rich wooden surfaces have the dual effect of making the dining room feel serene yet expensive, while large floor-to-ceiling glass doors looking out over the front terrace fill the space with natural light.

The menu is pricey, but Nathan tops and tails the menu with additional snacks and petit fours that makes you feel like you’re getting a lot of bang for your buck. We must have eaten six different things before we get to our starter, with highlights including miniature stilton sables, a bright pea soup with crispy bacon bits, and a vivid green lovage butter that’s almost light enough to pour over dense wedges of sourdough focaccia.

He also takes great care over presentation and there’s a precision on every plate that makes his food stand out above the rest. A starter of beef tartare is testament to that, featuring neat cubes of soft beef, oyster mayonnaise and punchy pickled elements, then served with ultra-crisp, shard-like crackers. Our main course of cod in a brothy chicken butter sauce looks relatively mundane in comparison, but the depth of flavour in that stock was so intensely delicious we opted to drink it neat with a spoon. To finish, sharp, jammy gooseberries and spicy ginger ice cream encased in a fragile brown sugar shell balanced each element harmoniously, although it was sadly over in three blissful bites.

Service is warm and well-trained, if at times a little too attentive, but The Silver Birch is clearly reaching for the stars – and is absolutely worth its salt if you ask us.

In the last few years, London diners have witnessed the rise of local, neighbourhood joints that foster a sense of community. In well-heeled Chiswick, The Silver Birch is a local opening that has joined in on the action, setting up shop on the area’s bustling high street.

The Silver Birch serves up a string of modern European dishes as part of a menu which evolves with the seasons, while plates are crafted using ingredients that have been locally sourced where possible. With such an impressive commitment to fastidious pedigree, it should come as no surprise that the chef behind the food here is far from an amateur. Heading up the kitchen is Nathan Cornwell, who has previously worked at big hitters like Geranium in Copenhagen which has three Michelin stars and Le Champignon Sauvage in Cheltenham which has been honoured with two Michelin stars.

Diners can start off with creations such as organic celeriac, Coolea cheese, hazelnut and celeriac broth or Devon smoked eel with Jersey Royals, chive and asparagus. Mains continue with the likes of Shetland cod with Swiss chard and chicken butter sauce, alongside lamb with wild garlic, glazed tongue, pickled cockles and sea herbs, and new season asparagus with pickled leeks.

To finish, guests can opt for a pear and brown sugar tart with gingerbread, brown butter chocolate delice, milk sorbet and caramelised white chocolate, or a summery dish of Gariguette strawberries, cream cheese and strawberry sorbet.

The dining room is a relaxed, pared-back space which exudes calm thanks to a mix of natural materials and unfinished textures. Olive green seating is complemented by the exposed brick and plaster walls, while a stream of dappled sunlight illuminates the room come afternoon. The Silver Birch also boasts a chef’s table which overlooks the open kitchen, if you would prefer a seat close to the action.