Still, we ate well, at fair prices. You’d think this was par for the course but, well, have you been out lately? I’m surprised places aren’t charging entrance fees. To start came a baguette (brown, the poser’s choice; cheap white is always better) and under-salted butter, but then appeared lozenges of good saucisson on the house. Oysters arrived on their ice bed, accompanied by chipolatas brushed with wholegrain mustard. “Take the oyster, then have a bite,” came the instruction. “Kinda like surf ’n’ turf.” Yeah, kinda. Sausage with oyster is more common than it sounds — the Basque do it with chorizo; in Bordeaux they have crépinettes — but it felt distinct. Playful. Unusual for London. A bottle of fruity white, a dozen oysters and a handful of sausages could make a beautiful winter lunch.
Ruth’s, Putney, review: Your Instagram crush would like it here
