A Tradition is Born: Hereford Road - Bayswater, Sunday 2nd December, 2012

Winter time has come to mean a big meal with friends. What started in the autumn of 2010 and continued in the winter of 2011 has thrived. Last year, it seemed a given that a large group outing to an English restaurant was inevitable and it was equally inevitable that I would organise it. I had earmarked Hereford Road as a potential destination as soon as the planning began. It had twice proved its worth as a decent place for six, so doubling that number ought to have been a possible winner.

As with any large group meal, a number of late cancellations and forgetful excuses came out before the event, but 12 of us made it to the table and I have to say that getting this event sorted was a wonderfully straightforward process. There was no protracted discussion, no outlandish deposit, no reduction in the menu: we basically got the full a la carte for 12 people for Sunday lunch in December. Not since Joe Allen have I had such an easy ride in booking a big Christmas table.

The menu itself read exactly as a classic British restaurant's should do: basic, simple combinations with a premise to exact them in a precise and satisfying way. There was enough choice to go around the table and, as ever, the prices were remarkably reasonable. I am not going to list every dish which was eaten and I certainly did not eat everything on the table, but - to business.

The starters were - at least in my area of the table - excellent. In typical uncomplicated and classic fashion, they delivered on every level. The seafood on show was seriously excellent. Our waiter mentioned that there was only one remaining portion of razor clams for the lunch service which the wife nearly leapt out of her seat at (left). These were impeccably fresh with a slight resistance so as to be moderately chewy but holding a delightfully creamy seafood taste. The accompaniments were nearly imperceptible outside of some thyme which gave a beautiful finish to the plate.

Continuing on the fish theme, some mackerel with potato salad and horseradish was another triumph of simplicity (right). In slicing the fish in half, the portion appealed as something a little different yet totally genuine and very fresh. The Jerusalem artichoke salad was also excellent, combining the robust, soft taste of the main ingredient with some well-seasoned leaves and dressing (above left).

Further down the table, the wife procured me a smidgen of some fish roe on toast (right). This was something I only had a mouthful of, but my friends laughed as my eyes were wide with surprise after tasting it. Buttery, rich, almost sweet and enjoyably meaty, this was food to impress to the point of amusing facial expressions.

My starter of quail and aioli was just about as great as it sounds, with mixed leaves on the side and half a lemon to season (left). No fuss, no frills, just expertly-cooked bird with potent garlic mayonnaise is about as perfect as you can get for a simple starter. We gnawed at the bones to extract the last of the salty, moist flesh.

After the feeding frenzy of the starters - we had waited quite a long time for certain guests to arrive - main courses arrived and we were all a little more reserved and dignified. The main courses read like a dream; a mixture of reassuring comfort foods and slightly upmarket restaurant ventures you'd never cook at home. Two of these - partridge and guinea fowl for two - were enjoyed at various points of the table. I tried a bit of the guinea fowl and it was nicely gamy, rich and interestingly served with a fennel salad. The partridge took some flak for having shot in it but that is a risk you run when ordering fresh game. Generally though, it was a success of well-cooked meat at the end of the game season.

A few around me went for the roast beef and the portion was as down-to-earth as one tends to get at Hereford Road (right). Never too over-imposing or excessive, the roast vegetables, mid-rare beef and gravy were an enjoyable balance of Sunday lunch on a plate.

The menu had advertised pork belly but, as with the razor clams earlier, they had run out. However, myself and a friend were clued-in and fortunate enough to get the last of the modified dish of pork chop with mash, red cabbage and apple sauce (left). I am not usually a fan of chops but this was something different entirely. A well-sized, juicy and exceptionally flavoursome piece of meat, properly coated in fat...it hit all the right notes, providing a rich and salty contrast to the sweet cabbage and sauce. Dishes like this are what make me continue to return to Hereford Road: sheer simplicity but executed with such assuredness that you just enjoy without any pretentious narrative at the table.

The dessert menu again read like a dream (as any list of English puddings should), but I will focus on two in particular. The rice pudding, yet again, was perfect: a spoonful of berry jam to balance some acidity and colour within a bowl of cuddling, sweet rice (right). If they keep serving puddings like this, I'll keep raving about them.

The sticky date pudding was also a major hit (left). What supermarkets are contriving to call sticky toffee still retains a certain original charm here and it's still just about the best out there. Marbled with a generous portion of pouring cream, this hot cake with rich, sweet caramel sauce is one worth travelling west for.

A tradition it has become, and one that (most likely 15 months from now) I will be writing about from 2013 as well. A big meal with friends is something you just can't beat. When the food is this good, it just makes people happy. Hereford Road remains somewhere I keep going to because it always manages to hit the mark in such an understated, humble way. If anyone asks me where to find classic English cooking at a reasonable price, this is where I suggest they go.

Hereford Road