We’ve gone past 12th August, aka the Glorious Twelfth, and that means as well as the summer slipping away, we’re officially into game season. The 12th refers to the start of the shooting season for red grouse, so a lot of restaurants will start putting grouse on their menus from that date but you can expect venison, hare, pheasant and other wild meat dishes to appear. The game is afoot in London and here’s where to eat it.
The Jugged Hare
Game season or not, hare isn’t something you see a lot of on London menus but this Barbican gastropub is known for it, so much so that it’s named after it. Here the signature jugged hare is served with mash, savoy cabbage and bacon.
The Harwood Arms
A mainstay on The Harwood Arms menu and for good reason (because it’s bloody excellent), the venison scotch egg is one of the best versions of the breaded egg you’ll find in London.
The Shed
The Gladwin Brothers are doing a classic take on grouse at their Notting Hill restaurant The Shed this season – Yorkshire grouse, liver pate, mushrooms, bread sauce, game chips, brandy jus, job done.
Kutir
Rohit Ghai likes cooking with game so much at Kutir that he's dedicated one of his tasting menus to it. Order the Hunter's Expedition and feast on guinea fowl & fennel, quail with garlic & puy lentils, mallard duck with curry leaf & coconut, and venison & green peppercorn curry.
Aqua Shard
When a restaurant is 31 floors up The Shard, it's not gonna be one to things by halves, so instead of a special dish for game season Aqua Shard has got a special five-course menu instead, including pork & duck terrine, game consomme with wild game tortellini, and Rhug Estate grouse with apple & vanilla marmalade, rainbow chard and dark chocolate jus.
Townsend
Head Chef Chris Shaw loves to feature game on the menu at Townsend, the restaurant at the Whitechapel Gallery, where he can, just like this wild venison haunch with parsnips, preserved blackberries and bitter leaves.