The House on the Hill - Reviewed
Above: The House on the Hill, Sevenoaks
Above: Profiteroles at The House on the Hill, Sevenoaks
Above: The House on the Hill, Sevenoaks
With around 20 eateries currently straddling the two roads into town, Sevenoaks could legitimately vie for the title of Restaurant Capital of Kent.
It’s therefore a tough ask to stand out from the crowd in this well-heeled town.
However, the attractive frontage of the House on The Hill on London Road manages to beckon diners in to stay for the night in a place that’s neither a slave to fashion nor over-priced.
We were warmly welcomed in to the House by Nick, the manager, closely followed by Andre Woodward, the lively owner and head chef who literally brims with enthusiasm for his friendly restaurant.
With comfy sofas close by and an easy ambience, my dining partner and I agreed that it was a little like visiting a friends for a meal - albeit a stylish friend who could spoil us for choice with an infinite amount of dishes and bottles of wine to choose from.
Andre’s menu is a delightful assortment of modern British dishes served with a twist. The starter menu is rich with options such as oak-smoked Atlantic halibut and sticky baby back ribs marinated in smoked chilli and bourbon. We ‘ummed’ and ‘ahhed’ for a considerable time before I plumped for sizzling king prawns marinated in herbs, garlic and citrus served with parmesan bread, and my dining partner decided on the Parma ham, grilled mango and baby leaf salad, which came served with mozzarella and a delicious sticky balsamic dressing.
Andre’s menu is a delightful assortment of modern British dishes served with a twist
The French house wine with its fresh fruity flavour, and priced at a reasonable £13.50, was an easy bottle to finish.
As Andre directed operations in the kitchen, I took a moment to squeeze by the hot plate and quiz him on the history of his stylish pad. Andre told me that he’d fallen in love with food at an early age when he started working at a fish and game restaurant in Westerham.
His desire to create fabulous dishes led him to Westminster College, the same College that trained Jamie Oliver. And it would appear that Andre was a bit of a star pupil too, completing a three-year course in just two years.
After a stint at a top restaurant in Bristol, Andre returned home to Sevenoaks to open his House to the public on 1 December 2005.
Weekends see the House packed to the rafters with families sampling the Tapas menu as well as the Sunday roast. The 50-seater restaurant is also popular for private parties. Andre explained the House rules: “People who come through my doors are my guests. We like them to feel like they’ve come to visit friends for dinner.”
We’d chosen a Tuesday to review the restaurant, and while the other restaurants in the town seemed empty, the House was in full swing, quite literally, as more than 20 people gyrated their stuff upstairs at Salsa.
Downstairs, my dining partner and I tucked in to our mains. The title of ‘most Moorish dish of the night’ went to my veggie option: Moroccan chickpea cakes with beetroot and scallion mash. Lemon zest combined with tahini, chickpeas, chilli, ginger and coriander made this dish a definite winner in my eyes.
My dining partner was as pleased as punch with his charred sirloin steak option: Andre sources the steaks direct from Oakdale Farm in Kemsing, while his fish is sourced fresh from the Kent coast via Billingsgate.
To finish, the profiteroles with white chocolate sauce chosen by my dining partner looked sublime, while my rhubarb and apple crumble made an earlier fleeting thought a certainty – If I had my way, I’d soon be setting up home at the House on the Hill.
More info
The House on the Hill
115 London Road,
Sevenoaks TN13 1BH
Tel: 01732 450120
Email: info@houseonthehillsevenoaks.co.uk
Opening times
Mon closed all day, Tue to Sat, 11am to 2.30pm and 6pm to late
Sun 11am to 2.30pm
A la carte from £25 per head.
Two-course set lunch menu: £12.95, three-course menu: £15.95
Tue nights: Salsa, Tapas and cocktails £20, booking advisable.