When is a Michelin starred restaurant not a Michelin starred restaurant? This is an unusually easy riddle to answer; it’s when it doesn’t hold a Michelin star. Yet in the case of the Silver Birch in Chiswick, it’s a particularly perplexing conundrum.
Everything about this stylish, subtle neighbourhood restaurant has a suave refinement that seems to beg for acknowledgement from the tyre men; there’s a tasting menu that boasts a total of nine courses, as well as a slightly abbreviated version that comes in at about five, what with amuse bouches and breads and snacks. But, somehow, the Silver Birch doesn’t (yet) have a star, despite the presence of chef Nathan Cornwell, a veteran of the Barn at Moor Hall and one of the most talked-about figures on the British culinary scene today.
Cornwell has been open about his influences being as much New Nordic and Scandinavian cookery as they are seasonal British ingredients, and it’s easy to see, on a lunchtime visit to the Silver Birch, what’s going on and why those in the know are heralding it as perhaps the best restaurant in London that you haven’t (yet) heard of.
If you choose one of the cocktails from the short, well-chosen list (I opt for an Old Fashioned, because, well, why not), that takes you through the snacks, amuse bouches and breads that begin the meal, you see Cornwell’s genius in miniature. I was impressed by a mini Scotch egg made with black pudding, thoroughly sated by a tiny dish that combined potato and trout, and blown away by some of the best bread I can remember eating, not least a sourdough with lovage butter. Yet this is but the curtain raiser before the grand journey into Cornwell’s talents.
The chef has described his hopes for his food at the Silver Birch as being “seasonal, thoughtful, simple”, and all these things can be found here. Both my guest Oliver – a Chiswick resident – and I opt for starters of a carefully deconstructed – and raw – Orkney scallop, served in tomato water. “How long does this take to prepare?”, my dining companion wondered as he munched his way through the delectable morsels in front of us. Well, considerably longer than I’ve ever spent making anything, I imagined. Paired with either a glass of Tokaji or Sauvignon Blanc, it’s a daring, bold opener, and things are about to get even better and bolder.
Ever paired pork belly and that most forbidden of ingredients, foie gras? Well, Cornwell does that with the mains, and it’s sensational, especially with some roasted shallots accompanying it. But is it better than a Sladesdown duck dish that comes with everything from ragout to stuffed morels? It would be impossible to say, but as I sip a glass of the Australian Cabernet Sauvignon that the sommelier has so thoughtfully recommended, I realise that it doesn’t matter; I do not believe that it would be possible to eat here and have anything other than an exceptional experience.
This also holds true for desserts of dark chocolate delice (a recommendation from the manager) and russet apple with salted caramel terrine, which leads Oliver to say in ecstasy “If the first course was a Joan Miro, this is a Henry Moore.” He is not wrong. This is contemporary cuisine at its most playful and interesting, and yet the Silver Birch seems oddly unheralded.
This should, and must, change. Restaurants this good do not grow on trees, and Cornwell is a remarkable talent. Let us hope that, whether or not Michelin see sense and acknowledge this superb place next year, Arbuturian readers make a pilgrimage to W4. I can promise that you will not be disappointed.
The Silver Birch, 142 Chiswick High Road W4 1PU. For more information, including details of the Chef’s Tasting Menu, and for bookings, please visit www.silverbirchchiswick.co.uk. The Silver Birch was Awarded London’s AA Restaurant of the Year 2024.
