Dach & Sons

For weeks buzz has been building around sleepy Hampstead village and between various gastrophiles regarding Fluid Movement’s extension of the Purl brand with Purl NW3 and first 'no booking' restaurant offering, Dach & Sons, both housed at 68 Heath Street. This is part 1 of our review of both establishments.

Dach & Sons  

Turning right out of Hampstead tube the bold signage is immediately noticeable (even to someone like me with mole-like vision) and inside the influence of the pillars on which Dach &Sons is founded, namely beer, whiskey, ‘dogs and sliders, is obvious. These pillars are a clear nod to the ubiquitous Americana trend that’s gripped London in recent times. However, it does not feel like it’s merely hopping on the bandwagon as it situated on a high street focused on independent retailers in an area in sore need of relaxed but trendy dining venue.

My friend and I started off with the Dach & Sons own brew, which was a deep orange colour, starting clean and finishing with a punch of hops which had a taste similar to Camden Pale Ale, and the Dark Star which was a lot more malty with a burnt caramel edge that was very interesting. We were also offered a sample of the guest ale which was a very floral light straw colour

The only cocktail on the menu is a julep. This, in my opinion, was a bold statement and the confidence it showed was a large reason for checking out the venue beyond the experienced backers. I opted for the Gentleman Jack version as I was after something a bit sweeter than the other candidates, but given the sweetness of the finished product I probably should have opted for something more robust. Personally I would have preferred fresh mint, especially as they grow their own on the roof, but the mint infusion used did help to keep consistency. It was very refreshing and went down quite nicely and the staff were so helpful I’m sure they’d have no qualms about adjusting to my personal taste next time (yes there’s a next time).

Moving on to the food, I think I can sum up the menu with the squeal we both emitted, “Ohhh, I want EVERYTHING!” He opted for the Banger which was a porky delight topped with an earthy mushroom ketchup and onions and elicited many sniggers at immature but very funny anatomy related innuendo. I landed on the greedy girl’s saviour: a trio of sliders. The multi-seed bun was the best with a peppery bacon jam I’d love the recipe for, though the glazed brioche style one came a close second with crunchy dill pickle and cheddar. The traditional floured bap was nice, but not a knockout as the sour cream rather overpowered the salt beef chilli. All three were a little too well done for my taste (I like them juicy) but that’s just personal preference, and adjustable for the aforementioned next time.

What I think will be the real draw, at least for the mid-afternoon clientele searching for something other than the myriad of pubs surrounding the heath, will be the sides. They’re a little pricey but on average, worth it. We had some yummy sweet potato wedges which went nicely with the fresh tarragon mayo, some lump Devils on Horseback which were a good pairing with the beers, and the most incredible invention of frickles (fried pickles – see what they did there) with a tangy own recipe ketchup that would happily replace my Heinz if I could get my hands on a bottle.

Early evening clientele were groups of friends and families with young children and later on we saw a few couples on relaxed dates. As expected for a new venue they edged into the hipster bracket but given location and the commitment to creating a neighbourhood vibe, which has a definite market if you take into account the meteoric rise of Kentish Towner, I’m sure there’ll be more locals frequenting as word gets out. Our tab came to £60 including tip which was quite reasonable given the excellent customer service. Despite competition from local gastropubs on price, the slice of stateside cool is more than welcome in an area crying out for a fashionable new hangout. With rumours of a dessert menu and proximity to the Everyman cinema, this could become a frequent spot for TGOC...

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