Star & Garter in Putney, London

Fluid Eating's Review of Star & Garter

In London’s crowded food and drink marketplace, it’s a lot harder to get noticed these days merely by being a pub which serves food or carries the ‘gastropub’ tag. So the Star & Garter has made the decision to specialise, concentrating on offering a selection of dining options with a focus on delivering quality.

Having climbed the steps from the beautiful riverside entrance, it is straightforward knowing what to select first on the menu. Straight opposite is a climate-controlled ‘cheese room’ with an enticing array of whole, blue and hard cheeses from England, France and Spain. The Star & Garter has its bases covered for those who enjoy their ‘fromage’. You can put together a personalised cheese board or, to take the difficulty out of the decision-making, there are six pre-selected options. The French selection is particularly appealing, the highlight being the powerful yet tangy blue ‘Persille de Malzieu’.

As an accompaniment it is hard to look beyond the extensive wine list: the in-house sommelier Will Buckland has compiled a list from across the world including a number of English selections. To continue with the French theme, the Château Teyssier Grand Cru is a beautifully smooth and fruity variety from Saint-Émilion among the red wines. If a choice of bottle is proving too difficult, you could also opt for one of the 35 wines by the glass. There’s plenty of beer on tap too, including the ever-appealing Deuchars IPA.

The cuisine is described as a ‘modern European mezze and charcuterie plate menu’ and there are plenty of other options to nibble on if cheese isn’t your thing. The charcuterie plates are put together with similar care and there are meats from Italy, Spain and France which would be worthy of a delicatessen. There are also tasty veggie options such as marinated artichoke hearts and sun dried tomatoes in olive oil which are perfect for sharing over a drink.

Opening hours are Monday to Thursday 5pm – 12am, Friday to Saturday 12pm – 1am and Sunday 12pm to 10.30pm, and the newly renovated upstairs Ballroom is available for hire and has capacity for up to 200 guests.

Arthur Browne

Star & Garter is a sophisticated west-end style wine lounge and function room, that opened at the beginning of June 2008. The impressive venue dates back to 1800's and is a renowned local landmark along the bank of the River Thames. The building has undergone major renovation internally and externally, to restore its original features and make way for a wine bar for the new millennium. One of the main architectural features of Star & Garter is its sweeping staircase which leads up to the Ballroom. Putney has long been a resting point on the River Thames for weary sailors - you can enjoy a fresh glass of wine with friends and colleagues, take your drinks outside and enjoy them by the River or reserve an area in the bar to enjoy the 'hot summer' nights in style. (Updated 01/07/2008)

Star & Garter Food & Drink Menus

Listed below are few sample food and drinks items available at Star & Garter. These lists are not enhaustive, but are instead designed to give you an overview of the venue's offerings and assciated prices.

Star & Garter also boasts a walk-in Cheese Room, which is temperature and humidity controlled. An extensive selection of English, artisan produced cheeses will be available, with fully trained staff on hand to offer advice if required.

In addition, the venue will offer delicious mezze plates and charcuterie boards with a mouth watering assortment of locally sourced produce for those with a bigger appetite.

Star & Garter Food menu

Star & Garter features an innovative "Enomatic" wine dispense system that has been specialist-designed to keep reds and whites fresh for up to three weeks once opened. This enables the team to offer one of the most comprehensive lists of wines by-the-glass in the country, without compromise on quality. Resident sommelier, Will Buckland has travelled to the world's top vineyards handpicking over 100 wines for their specialist cellar, although not all of his trips have been as far flung as one might imagine! Commenting on his selection of English wines Will said, "The South of England is producing some spectacular wines now- right up there with the best in the world".

Star & Garter Drink menu

Star & Garter Map

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“I could not choose a better place to celebrate my 30th Birthday. The wine lounge has a warm elegant feel and we loved the cheese room. You can go inside, taste some bits and make up your own platter of cheese and meats. The prices were reasonable and wines of offer plenty. Will be coming back.” Rating: — Jennifer, London (02 Sep 2009)

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