This week sees the opening of a new gastropub in Chiswick, the Hound.
Backed by JKS — the ever-growing restaurant empire which has developed concepts from Bao to Gymkhana — the Hound takes over the site of the Crown pub on Chiswick High Road. It will open on Wednesday July 17.
The opening marks the first pub in three years from the Dominic Jacobs and JKS partnership, who launched the Cadogan Arms to critical acclaim in the summer of 2021, and the George in Fitzrovia later that year. The Hound is promising a similar style of beautifully renovated pub space, with adjacent dining rooms.
The Hound will be the largest pub of the three, with a large main dining room, expansive covered courtyard, saloon pub area, two private dining rooms with wine cellars and four bookable bedrooms, justifying The Hound’s moniker as a “coaching inn”.
A former police station, the building work has seen the restoration of many original features, including the external Victorian railings of 1872 and the royal coat of arms above the porch entrance.
Internally, the traditional mood of the pub space is accentuated with dark wood panelling, blue leather seating and a fireplace, while the adjacent dining room and courtyard to the rear feel lighter thanks to floor-to-ceiling windows and a retractable roof.
On the pub side, the beer on tap is set to feature craft brewers, including ales from South West London’s popular Sambrook's Brewery, and a specially created Morhoch Cornish pilsner, brewed by Cornwall’s Harbour Brewing Co, both to be served alongside a range of other local ales.
Serving the restaurant, chef John Sparks joins the two Michelin-starred culinary director James Knappett (of the JKS-backed Kitchen Table), with the duo creating a menu full of familiar favourites found in the Cadogan Arms and the George. Among these include the black pudding Scotch egg, buttermilk fried chicken, and beef dripping steak tartare, as well as pubby classics of fish and chips, burgers and ham, egg and chips.
On the opening, Dominic Jacobs said: “We are excited to be taking over this historic site in Chiswick, it has long been a cornerstone of the local community and we hope that it will continue to be one, offering a welcoming space for socialising whether for a drink, meal, special occasion or overnight stay.
“Both the Cadogan Arms and the George have embedded themselves in their respective local communities over the past three years and are thriving as a result. It is with the same ambition we hope to launch the Hound.”
