Launching under the radar in April, Clapham Junction's Ploussard has grown into a word-of-mouth sensation
Ploussard's location might not be the first choice for an independent, modern British bistro. Sat on the busy intersection of Clapham Junction's Northcote Road and Lavender Hill, next to an estate agent and opposite a Nando's, it wasn't even first choice for owners Matt Harris and Tommy Kempton.
The couple picked up the site in summer 2022 and initially used it to launch a second branch of their popular Brixton fried chicken restaurant, Other Side Fried, which they have run since 2014. But the couple soon realised they had got it wrong. "It just didn't work there," says Harris. "Brixton has a lot of students, a lot of footfall going to Brixton Academy for nights out, a lot of chains on its high street. This site is more independent restaurants and bars. Tommy and I had always wanted to open something like [Ploussard], so we said: you know what, let's just do it."
The result is a bijou bistro cramming 32 covers into a slim site. Plywood banquettes and panelling, a marble-effect floor and low hanging orb lighting channel the spirit of a Parisian bistro through a 1950s modernist aesthetic. All the more remarkable considering Harris and Kempton did much of it themselves on a shoestring. Harris, who boasts stints at Parlour in Kensal Rise, One Leicester Street in Soho and Lambert's in Balham, oversees the kitchen team of three. Between them, they are turning out a seasonal, modern-European, small-plates menu that leaves you in no doubt that the pair were right to back their bistro dream.
The menu comprises 13 savoury dishes – running from snacks through to more substantial mains – and three desserts, each comprising no more than three or four seasonal ingredients. "I love simple dishes but with a hidden surprise," says Harris. "And I love the simple wine bars of Paris, so there is a lot of inspiration from that."
That Gallic love is visible straight off the bat, with a snack of madeleine with comté and cep custard (£5 each). The team roasts ceps in butter before using them to make a traditional crème anglaise with cream and egg yolk, which is fed through an espuma gun.
"We grate some comté on top of the custard with a little bit of cep powder and then you've got the madeleine to dip into that. You think it's a sweet dessert but actually it's a savoury snack."
Also among the snacks is smoked cods' roe with squid ink crackers (£8). A simple take on a taramasalata – made with garlic, lemon juice, English mustard and bread – with a dehydrated then fried tapioca and squid ink cracker which acts as a light, crunchy vehicle for the smooth, salty tang of the cod's roe.
The dish of pickled mussels with courgette and melon (£11) was inspired by another European classic. "I wanted to do Parma ham and melon – salty, saucy, meaty – so it was a play on that."
The team barbecues yellow courgettes, yellow peppers and onions until they are "insanely black" then peel and blend them with sherry vinegar and olive oil to create a sweet, light, almost-gazpacho-like base, on top of which sits mussels that have been pickled in elderflower vinegar and sugar, alongside slices of honeydew melon. The result is a silky smooth and summery sauce with a hint of chargrilled sweetness, broken up by the sharp tang of the mussels before being washed down by the sweet finish of the melon.
"It's definitely divided people," says Harris. "Some have called it the best dish they've had all year, while others who perhaps aren't too adventurous haven't liked it at all."
Then there's the dish that has become something of a signature: lamb and anchovy crumpet (£14). The team slow-roasts lamb shoulder, before rolling it and pan-roasting sliced circles. They are accompanied on the crumpet with an anchovy emulsion. It's easy to see why it has gained such traction. Leaving aside how perfectly Instagrammable it is, with its sprinkled chive topping, it is Ploussard in a nutshell – casual and comforting yet treaty – the fattiness of the lamb; the unami hit of the anchovy; the crispy crumpet soaking up the lamb juices.
Finally, if there is a better embodiment of Harris's cooking, look no further than a salted barley ice-cream – made with a touch of homemade miso for an extra savoury smack – and served with crispy Jerusalem artichokes (£8).
Since it opened in April, it took two to three months for word of mouth to spread, says Harris. Now they average 65 covers a day with an average spend of £58 – brought down by those dropping in for a snack and a pick from the low-intervention wine list. After such a successful pivot, they want to keep the momentum going.
"It's a dream, really. We definitely want another project in the future and there's something on the cards that we're thinking about."
From the menu
- Jerusalem artichoke, black truffle and buckwheat £13
- Leek and egg yolk tart £13
- Ceps, lardo and vin jaune hollandaise £16
- Dexter beef and aligot pot £17
- Raw diver scallop, tomato and green mandarin £19
- Duck leg, coco beans and turnip £22
- Skate wing, caviar and savagnin sauce £24
- Dexter, cabbage and oyster £32
- Comté, toast and crab apple jelly £10
97 St John's Road, London SW11 1QY
