An unpretentious but elegant Irish-American restaurant and bar where the service is sharp and the menu brilliant
En route to Darby’s, Robin and Sarah Gill’s new project in south London, it struck me that for many years Vauxhall’s nightlife did not focus much upon dining. The Hoist nightclub, for example, despite serving prime, leather-wrapped beefcake, never offered sustainably sourced small plates. Likewise, no one ever joined the 2am queue at Brüt in search of a pleasant soufflé.
For these reasons, and more, Vauxhall seemed a peculiar place for the Americans to unveil their shiny new embassy back in January 2018. Until then, our American friends were ensconced in a highly desirable Mayfair spot where US diplomats could choose from a host of local Michelin-starred restaurants – Kai, Murano, Umu, Gymkhana– without the need for a motorcade, or adding to their government’s current £12m in unpaid congestion charges. Regardless, the American attachés and envoys now find themselves a 10-minute walk from Vauxhall station, in a gargantuan, purpose-built, space-age fortress set 100ft back from the road, prettified by ornamental ponds, yet essentially resembling a cross between the Pompidou Centre and the Premier Inn Reading Central.
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