And yes they do great burgers!
For those who have read past reviews they will know that if the family are involved in the outing burgers will certainly get tested at any restaurant we visit!
As a fan of the music venue and having been part of the press pressure to keep the venue open, the Half Moon was not somewhere I would have thought of as a place for Saturday lunch even if it was just "my husband & I" but certainly not somewhere to take the teens!
But think again! The open light & airy interiors are not the only change - Saturday lunch was popular with people of every age including a couple with their young baby and a beautiful (& well behaved) black spaniel was spotted under one table!
There is a set regular menu offering 'Small Plates' giving a light snack e.g. Soup or Welsh Rarebit or 'Bigger Plates' & Grills the latter including .... yes you've guessed it burgers but what is different is there are three types of burger - traditional beef plus pork belly or lamb all priced at £7.50 but chips are extra! In addition there is a special board offering three or four extra choices. 'Bigger Plates' also offers fish & vegetarian dishes and steaks.
Burgers were snapped up with beef & lamb being ordered - sadly the pork with crackling had sold out! I went for the smoked haddock kedgeree (£11.00) - you can get a small plate for £5.50. The burger did not disappoint - arriving on a board with salad and relish with ketchup & mayonnaise in trendy little kilner style jars. The kedgeree was very tasty with a poached egg on top - but unlike my home cooking it was risotto in style - ie creamy not dry in texture.
The change in ownership last year - The Half Moon is now part of The Geronimo group - has resulted in a change in the cellar - the medium bodied La Fougere Grenache/Syrah 2009/10, Pays d’Oc, (£5.20 - 250ml) was very palatable and the Wandle Ale is brewed in neighbouring Battersea (£3.50), whilst the Punk IPA (£4.30) is made with New Zealand hops.
The dessert menu, though not extensive includes traditional favourites, my sweet toothed husband tried the apple tart & custard (£5.50) which received favourable feedback whilst I stuck with the double espresso (£2.50).
So it's a thumbs up for the 'new' Half Moon offering good food in a welcoming environment - the staff were all friendly & helpful. The final bill for four was £65.30 excluding service.
Sandi Bloomfield
January 18, 2012
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