Last Updated on October 5, 2024
Feasting 1960s style at Grumbles in Pimlico
Grumbles first opened its doors in 1964. That means this year is its 60th anniversary and that is indeed something to celebrate. It’s a relic of a time when dining out in London was still a relatively rare experience. The brainchild of a group of local characters looking for a place that served honest, unpretentious food the tables are still the original ones that Julian Hippisley, a friend of the owners, built for them. Rent was £12 a week and the most expensive dish on the menu was fillet steak at 9 shillings and sixpence (45p).
Over the years, just three people have held the reins at Grumbles – Jeremy Friend, the founder, was there for 30 years before Charles Tidman took over. The current Proprietor, Alex Turnbull has been there since 2009 and took charge in 2011. Nothing much seems to have changed, it’s the sort of restaurant that feels trapped in golden pine—a time capsule of 1970s dining.
The décor, though scrubbed clean, reeks of nostalgia. Wood panelling, mismatched furniture, and walls adorned with gently fading prints together with a truly unflattering photo of the founder offer a cosy yet distinctly dated atmosphere. It’s a place where locals come to sip house red that tastes faintly of regret and dive into dishes that make up in enthusiasm what they lack in finesse. Alex told us that Jeremy still takes an active role in the restaurant and the Grumbles website explains that he intended to have a restaurant where guests felt they were dining in his own home. Having grown up with parents who loved entertaining, I can vouch that within a few minutes, I was taken back in time to my parents’ house. I can just imagine my mother offering guests ‘Prawn Avocado’
It’s the kind of place where you can imagine famous Londoners hanging out in the 60s and 70s, simply because away from Soho and Mayfair, they could enjoy themselves while staying under the radar. We understand that The Beatles, Mamas and Papas, Julie Christie, Michael Foot, Christine Keeler, Ian le Frenais, Rod Steiger and so many more all frequented the restaurant. It was the venue where key figures in what became the SDP, including Shirley Williams, met to agree on the details of forming a new party. While the ground floor is open, with tables, banquettes and booths, downstairs in the basement there are two semi-private areas, where groups can get together.
Today, the menu is resolutely retro – whether you choose to eat from the Anniversary Set Menu or from the A La Carte. And, cooked to order in the tiny kitchen to the back, it’s fresh, filling and comforting, with hearty portions. There is a good drinks menu with beer including Newcastle Brown beer, Kir Royale and other classics – and there’s a wine list with prices for a bottle starting at £24.50.
The Anniversary Set Menu is a snip at £44.95 for 3 courses, including a glass of house wine. For that, you get the choice of three starters, three mains and two desserts. We started with a Kir Royale each while we nibbled on bread and butter and decided what to eat.
Pan-fried tiger prawns with garlic, chilli, olive oil and parsley was delicious comfort food with just the right amount of heat. Plump and nicely cooked prawns nestled in a wickedly spicy sauce just begging to be mopped up with bread.
My companion’s Avocado Grumbles with prawns and Marie Rose sauce was about the most retro starter I could imagine. I still remember my grandma tasting (and loving) avocado for the first time when she came to stay, probably in about 1968. It might well have been in the form of avocado prawns – certainly, it’s a dish I remember my mother making for special occasions.
The Grumbles’ fillet steak with chips is served, as it apparently always has been, with a topping of brown sugar and mustard – a kind of savoury brulee. The steak was well cooked and rested, not a spot of blood on the plate while it was decently pink inside. While unexpected, I rather liked the crunchy brulee topping.
My companion had the substantial Fish Pie, which he thought was mostly salmon and enjoyed it thoroughly. With a side portion of minted peas, it was another of those dishes I remember from my childhood.
For dessert, my companion enjoyed the very retro Eton mess while I had the ice cream, served with warm chocolate sauce, toasted flaked almonds and two of those ice cream wafers you might have enjoyed for special occasions as a kid. We particularly liked the chocolate sauce – it somehow made its way onto the Eton mess too – and wasn’t in the least bit out of place.
We enjoyed a half bottle of very decent Chablis and a glass of red wine with our food. The wine list offers affordable quality, but if you prefer, you can dine on Mondays and bring your own wine with no corkage.
Rounding the meal off with decent fresh coffee and some chocolate beans, we reflected that this is somewhere that deserves to be better known. The other diners appeared to be predominantly regulars and Alex told us that customers generally lived or worked locally (Pimlico, which used to be rather run down is now quite posh!) or came from the nearby hotels around Victoria. It’s classic British food with no frills, good quality and well priced. The setting is so quintessentially British it should be on the map for every visitor to London.
Happy 60th Birthday – here’s to another 60 years of fun!
Grumbles Bistro Ltd
35 Churton Street
Pimlico
London
SW1V 2LT
tel: 020 7834 0149
fax: 020 7834 0298
