An ambitious new riverside gastropub is opening in Barnes next month from locally raised Joe Grossman, the founder of the Patty & Bun burger chain, who has put together a crack team to revive The Waterman’s Arms.
The mid-Victorian pub is on a prominent corner, but has struggled in recent years first as a branch of Strada, then as a local restaurant and finally as a boozer that did well selling takeaway drinks under lockdown before hitting the wall.
The Waterman’s will be the third opening in a matter of weeks in Barnes, following The Farmer’s Mistress in White Hart Lane and Chandelier Thai near Hammersmith Bridge – evidence that the trend towards dining near home remains strong.
Head chef Sam Andrews, formerly of Duck Soup in Soho and the Camberwell Arms, is heading the kitchen, while the front of house team will be run by Simon Walsh, formerly of the Anglesea Arms in Hammersmith.
Joe said: “The Watermans Arms has been a long-time dream of mine and, as soon as there was the opportunity to take the space and prospect of building something truly special within an area I grew up in, there was no looking back. The bones of the place are incredible with high ceilings, beautiful original windows and doors along with a balcony overlooking the water.
“There are not many locations like it in London, it’s completely unique and iconic. It’s in fantastic hands with Sam and Simon spearheading the project – two absolute legends who I’ve known for a while and always greatly admired. We want to build a place that people cherish and come back to again and again. A place that is built into the fabric of the community and a destination for food and drink lovers to come and discover.”
Downstairs will offer a simple bar menu of dishes such as lamb rib, yoghurt & honey and small ‘toasts’ such as sourdough charred over the coals finished with rouille and mussels. A full A La Carte menu will be available downstairs and in the upstairs dining room, with a rotating specials board featuring whole market fish cooked over coals, sharing chops and steaks from the in-house whole-animal butchery.
