British pub food has been transformed in the last couple of decades. Nowadays you can find sublime, restaurant-standard cooking going on in the kitchens of pubs across the capital, and the newly revamped Jam Tree, on a sleepy residential road near Kensington Olympia tube, has a chef who is very much at the top of his game.

The Venue
Formerly known as The Priory and The Priory House, the new owners and management of this triple-level gastro pub have impressive calling cards. Connections and track records with some of London’s most infamous and highly regarded venues – Aquum, Pacha, The Ritz – are just part of the resume. One of the team, Sam O’Riordan, is brother and manager of Judge Jules but, thankfully, there’s not a playlist of grating trance anthems as you tuck into your starter, instead you can expect to hear classic reggae tracks like Police and Thieves in the mix with funk and soul, creating a chilled backdrop to your evening.

The building’s bright white exterior has gaping windows which let in plenty of natural light on the ground floor, and there’s plenty of character given to the room by quirky features, like the colourful pop art-style jam jar artwork above the bar. With its mix and match of bespoke copper-colour lights, wooden fixtures and fittings and humongous mirror hanging in one corner above leather banquette seating, it very much feels like a contemporary neighbourhood gastro, with a touch more class than most.

In the basement there’s an additional 50-capacity room for private parties, whilst up on the first floor, another smaller space is a work-in-progress with the aim of it ultimately being a room for business meetings and private dining.

The Atmosphere
Friendly, relaxed and convivial, The Jam Tree is big on warm welcomes and pays a lot of attention to the enjoyment of its customers. Locals, evidently buoyed by the arrival of a truly great local, are here in their droves and, once word is out, you’d think West Londoners will happily make a detour to sample the cracking cooking.

The Food
Eating at gastro pubs can be the culinary equivalent of Groundhog Day - the same menus pop up time and time again. Luckily, The Jam Tree has avoided this by concocting a menu billed as ‘modern British pub food with a celebration of Colonial flavours’. Its strapline might be a little jarring for some but what it essentially means is that they can stick curries, Malaysian Laksa and so on, on their menu. Whilst the sight of a chicken Madras on a pub menu has the potential to go spectacularly wrong, you need not worry – it’s a lovely, aromatic, freshly prepared dish that’s not as fiercely hot as you might expect, but it’s one that’s still full of spicy, lingering flavours.

The love of a bit of spice also finds its way onto the starter menu, where a curried Cornish crab samosa (£6.50) arrives as a delicate, feather-light filo-pastry. A very well executed dish, this is the sort of thing you’d expect to eat at a high-end Indian fine dining restaurant rather than your high street curry house. Equally good is the potted smoked haddock with granary toast. This is a little pot that contains a piping hot melted substance that tastes of cheese with plenty of salty flakes of haddock. Spreading the contents on the bread is akin to having a posh cheese on toast with smoked haddock and it is exceedingly satisfying.

A main course of lamb (£13.90) continues to impress. A pink-centred rump of lamb is carved up into thin slices and positioned on top of roasted in-season Jersey Royals and a mix of peas, broad beans and invigorating fresh mint. The meaty, unctuous flavours of the pan juices add a crowning moment to what is faultless dish.

Five desserts include a selection of British cheese (£7), but for a sweet version try the South African malva pudding (£5.50). Similar to a steamed sticky toffee pudding, the malva is, if anything, slightly lighter in consistency and it uses apricots instead of dates. It can be paired with a delicious honeycomb ice cream, which sits on a brittle meringue and you may even find a sticky, sweet lolly-like disc adding another layer to a very fine mix.

The Drink
The wine list is the strongest aspect of the drinks on offer. A choice list starts from £3.70 a glass or £14.50 a bottle for an Aussie Chardonnay or Shiraz. A La Linda Malbec at £23 might be pushing the cost of the bill upwards but it’s got enough fruit, spice and depth in flavour to assure you it’s worth the little extra.

You might expect a good few ales to populate the pumps but there are only two: Greene King IPA and St Edmund's. These weigh in at around £3.60 a pint and the latter is particularly good on warmer days, its citrus notes offering a refreshing flavour. Other options on draught include Staropramen, Kronenbourg, Aspall’s cider and Guinness.

The Last Word
Whilst you can find a good standard of cooking going on at gastro pubs across the capital, it’s rare to come across food as good as The Jam Tree's. With its magpie philosophy of taking culinary inspiration from wherever it sees fit, you no longer have to umm and aah over the same old British gastro staples, there’s a whole world to inspire you.

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