db Eats: The Laughing Gravy

The concept: I feared that this might be one of those places which put two completely unconnected words together just because they could, as often happens with East London pubs (like The Kneecap & Blancmange or The Earnest Candle (just examples rather than actual places, to my knowledge). Such was my ignorance – ‘Laughing Gravy’ in fact has several meanings. As probably everyone knows, it was the name of the cute little mongrel in the Laurel and Hardy film of the same name; it was also a euphemism for booze during Prohibition. I found that quite interesting. Also QI is that the restaurant, ‘The Laughing Gravy’, is a place London cabbies have to know about when being tested on The Knowledge.

The Laughing Gravy sells itself as ‘London’s best kept dining secret’. We’re talking: warm, casual, democratic atmosphere, and hearty, seasonal British food with a few cheffy touches (eg, morel soil, foie gras pâté doughnuts). Our waiter, Lucian, an LA-bound young film actor from Yorkshire, said a lot of custom comes via Tripadvisor, which had me thinking that, were I an out-of-towner, perhaps in London to watch a play or see the sights, and wanting to find a venue for dinner that was cosy, friendly, and where the food was a step up from some chain restaurant, The Laughing Gravy might be considered ‘a find’.

The décor: Cosy, softly lit, with a variety of seating options, from larger tables for groups to the nice table for two by the upright piano (the notation book open at a Muzio Clementi piano sonata, which I resisted the urge to play, swayed, ultimately, by not being able to play the piano) against the back wall.The restaurant itself seats 55, while there’s space for 16 at the bar – it’s surprisingly spacious for what looks like a tiny venue from the outside. The twinkle lights, wood furniture and easy country/rock music (notes: ‘Steely Dan’), combined with informal yet attentive service, help to put one at one’s ease. There was an anxious moment when (unless I hallucinated it), Paul McCartney’s genuinely evil ‘A Wonderful Christmastime’ came on, but the track was quickly skipped.

The food: Chef Michael Facey has worked at The Laughing Gravy since it opened six years ago. He has more than 20 years’ experience working in some of the top kitchens across the capital, including The Ivy and Caprice. His menu looks a bit busy (there are around 100 dish elements for the brain to process – not including the pudding list), but you can’t fault it for generosity. Or invention. ‘Modern British’ is the category it fits into, but with cheffy flourishes – so a dish of smoked scallop and West Country crayfish Scotch egg comes with pickled and moussed cauliflower and crispy seaweed; the lovely duck terrine set in cider jelly comes with mini doughnuts filled with foie gras pâté…

Dishes are presented elegantly, though not consistently so. My whiskey-cured oak smoked trout with kohlrabi and Guinness sauce was very pleasant to eat and showed some finesse with plating; the venison Wellington main with potato and black truffle mousseline was rich and wholesome, taste-wise, but didn’t have the same finesse in presentation, and the pastry was a bit soggy. Similarly, my co-reviewer’s ribeye didn’t have the panache the starters had and came with pretty unhappy-looking chips.

Signature dish: The venison Wellington has been a menu staple for a long time, though most dishes are adapted or change altogether according to season. A good Wellington is a joy for ever, or not quite, but you get what I mean, and when it comes with a silky, truffled potato mousseline, it’s hard to overlook.

Mead and malt glazed lamb shoulder at The Laughing Gravy

The drinks: You could set yourself up with an apéritif of sloe gin fizz or a cucumber gimlet. Only three suppliers are used so the wine offering is modest in scope. Of the 10-12 wines by the glass, the Domaine Laroche Petit Chablis stands out among the whites; the Moulin des Chenes Lirac certainly worked with the venison Wellington.

Who to know: Owner Jon Wise would be worth befriending if he’s around. Jon worked in restaurants in Manchester before leaving the culinary world to work as a showbiz journalist and TV critic. After 15 years he returned to hospitality and opened The Laughing Gravy. He might tell you about the weird habits of his celebrity customers.

Don’t leave without: Thinking of your own strangely made up-sounding restaurant name.

The Laughing Gravy, 154 Blackfriars Road, London SE1 8EN. For bookings: info@thelaughinggravy.co.uk / 020 7998 1707.