Gallery Mess

Gallery Mess Restaurant Review:

This welcoming brasserie housed in the Saatchi Gallery is bright, airy and buzzing during the day, a little more subdued in the evenings. Expect linen tablecloths, exposed brickwork, high ceilings, a large outdoor terrace overlooking The Green, supremely welcoming staff, and the dining space itself studded with art pieces. The seasonal menu reads very well, provided by esteemed caterer and restaurant operator rhubarb, and a long and well stocked bar greets patrons on entry. The dinner menu is a smaller selection of failsafe comfort classics, and despite its limitations, the level of cooking is far better than you might expect a gallery restaurant to have. A starter special of rib-eye with a poached egg, avocado and puffed rice was spot on, as was the confit duck leg with truffled lentils, field mushrooms and thyme jus --- full of flavor. For dessert, expect the likes of tart lemon posset with crystallized violets, and vanilla cheesecake with orange compote. There’s a modest wine list but with plenty of choices by the glass, and be sure to sample a cocktail or two from the accomplished mixologists behind the bar. Set menu two courses for £19.50, three courses for £24.50.