London’s latest good food pub: Bouchon Racine at The Three Compasses

There has been a surge of quality food pubs this year. The Three Compasses, taken on by chef Henry Harris and former Rockfish director Dave Strauss, is the latest. The Farringdon pub will reopen in the next few weeks after a ‘casual refurb’ and Harris will relaunch his feted French restaurant Racine, as Bouchon Racine, upstairs sometime in November. 

The Three Compasses follows Mayfair spots The Audley and The Barley Mow, The Pelican in Notting Hill and The Plimsoll in Finsbury Park, all similar in that they are traditional pubs: places to have a pint, a Scotch egg and a sausage roll. But all have more extensive food menus – fully fledged restaurants, essentially – too. In the first three, these are situated upstairs, as will be the case at Harris’ and Strauss’ new place.

Strauss told CODE there isn’t the funding to renovate as the likes of The Audley and The Barley Mow have, but work is being done. Downstairs will retain its position as a commuters’ boozer, with a simple menu of bar snacks. 

‘It’s always been a commuters’ pub and that’s what we want,’ said Strauss. ‘We’re not doing an elaborate refurb, but we are doing it up. We’re tied to Heineken, so we’ll be serving standard beers, Guinness, lagers. There’s not really a craft element. Our manager is Bradley Hawkins, ex-Drapers.

‘I suppose the new angle is that our food will be French, downstairs too. We’re going to have a small kitchen counter.’

The casual food offering will include charcuterie, rilettes and jambon cru with celeriac remoulade as well as oyster plates and other seafood. Fish will come from Mitch Tonks in Devon – of Rockfish – and Rex Goldsmith, aka The Chelsea Fishmonger, who is also an investor. Three others to invest are Charlie Carroll from Flat Iron, John Barnes of Harry Ramsden’s fame, and Company of Cooks founder Mike Lucy. 

And upstairs will be Bouchon Racine: a marked return of an adored Knightsbridge restaurant. It has been seven years since Harris closed the original, but a pop-up dinner last year was a sign of things to come. Neither Harris nor Strauss have been secretive about their plans, both mentioning the comeback over the course of this year. There are now details abound.

Bouchon Racine, which will have its own entrance, will be led by Harris and his old head chef Chris Handley. The menu will be as French as can be, with dishes such as rabbit with mustard, fish in beurre blanc, steak frites, and various iterations of offal. Strauss told CODE the wines will be heavily French-leaning too and the menu will be updated daily. Harris’ wife’s company Harris Vintners will provide digestifs and other drinks.

And so here is the latest good pub to arrive in London, a business model with two revenue streams and so perhaps a little more secure in these difficult times.

‘A lot of people are doing pubs at the moment,’ said Strauss. ‘Everything is quite hard and I think having those two areas of the business is good. People can come in for a drink after work, or they can have dinner. Or both. Hopefully it works.’