Last Updated on February 19, 2024
Disappearing into the Dartmouth Arms
Dartmouth Arms is a sophisticated North London gastropub located between Gospel Oak and Tufnell Park, on the borders of Hampstead Heath. Nestled on a quiet street, it appears from the outside to be similar to many of the charming pubs in this leafy part of the city, but an excellent menu and attention to detail set it apart. I was delighted to be invited to review Dartmouth Arms, which is one of two pub taken over by Disappearing Dining Club. They have been running external dinner parties and events in creative spaces across London since 2010 and more recently have started running pubs. Simon the Tanner is the company’s offering for those south of the river, near London Bridge. I’ll jump on the chance to try it out too now I’ve experienced Dartmouth Arms
Most notable about Dartmouth Arms’ low-lit interior is the impressive Hi-Fi equipment and related artwork adorning the walls. Music is central to the experience, with a live DJ spinning vinyl to curate a tasteful soundtrack to accompany our meal. Popular in the local area, the pub was buzzing with locals on a Friday night, with a mix of people dining in or stopping by for a drink.
On arrival, we were warmly greeted by attentive staff and enjoyed our welcome drink which was the Winter Cup, including Cointreau, gin and ginger ale. A play on Pimm’s, the cocktail was light and fragrantly perfumed with citrus.
Offering a concise and bijou menu, Dartmouth Arms has an admirable focus on quality. The menu focuses on sustainable, seasonal ingredients and the drinks menu offers a variety of locally brewed beers as well as a good range of wines and spirits. To accompany our meal, we ordered a bottle of the 2021 Felino Malbec from Mendoza, Argentina which was medium-bodied with deep notes of plum and blackberry.
For our starters, we ordered the Jerusalem artichoke with white bean and truffle hummus and fermented King Oyster mushrooms. The smooth and creamy hummus was tart, well matched to the crisp Jerusalem artichoke and the sharp fermented mushrooms. We also ordered the haggis, nips and tatties croquettes, served with smoked whiskey mayo. A special addition to the menu in the week of Burn’s Night, the smoked whiskey mayo was delicious and moreish, and certainly worth maintaining as a condiment on the pub snacks menu all year round.
From the main courses, the pan-fried sea bass with Provençal vegetables and salsa verde was a beautifully cooked piece of fish. Flaky with a crispy skin, the fish was nicely accompanied by hearty vegetables and is be highly recommended. The confit duck leg with potato fondant, carrot and orange purée and gremolata was similarly excellent. Rich and tender, the meat fell off the bone into the orange and carrot purée which added colour and citrus pizzaz to the dish.
We also enjoyed two excellent desserts, bread pudding with a crème brûlée topping and the apple and winterberry crumble which contained slightly tart and strikingly pink apples served with a luxurious vanilla ice cream.
Dartmouth Arms is a classy local gastropub offering a well-considered and excellently executed menu. For those visiting or living in the area, it is a must-visit.
35 York Rise,
London
NW5 1SP
02037930202
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