The Half Moon’s new upstairs room is open, and the Sunday Roast is worth the trip

The Half Moon reopened on Boat Race day, 4 April, after eight weeks of full refurbishment. The new glass room on top of the pub – visible from the pavement for months, a source of some curiosity – is finally open to the public, and on a sunny Sunday it might be the best seat in Putney.

The setting

Take the stairs and you emerge into something genuinely new: a bar room with a retractable roof open to the sky, the original “Half Moon Live Music Since 1963” ghost lettering visible on the exposed brick wall opposite, hanging plants, warm leather seating, framed Putney photographs covering every surface. On a sunny Sunday with the roof panel back and blue sky above, it’s a genuinely lovely room – relaxed, full, and with exactly the right energy for a long lunch.

The drinks

The Half Moon has clearly thought about this. As well as a serious wine list – Nyetimber on the sparkling end, a good range of reds and whites – there’s a dedicated alcohol-free menu that goes well beyond token gestures. The “Summer Sipping” card runs to coolers, a “Mindful Blends” section (TRIP CBD drinks, Lion’s Mane), AF sparkling wine, and zero-percent cocktail options. For a table with mixed drinking preferences, it works.

The food

We ordered broadly: Mushroom Smoked Roast Beef (£22), popcorn chicken (£7), smoked garlic focaccia (£6), skinny fries, and the charred artichoke goddess salad (£16.50).

The roast delivered. The smoked beef was tender and genuinely flavourful – the smoking process adds a depth you don’t usually find in a pub roast, and it carried through to the last bite. Good textures throughout: the beef fat roasties had proper substance, the creamed corn purée brought richness, the Yorkshire pudding did its job. A plate that looked good in the sun and tasted as good as it looked.

The smoked garlic focaccia was the surprise of the table. Crispy, buttery, cheesy, garlicky — it arrived and didn’t last long. The kind of thing you order as a side and end up talking about on the way home.

The charred artichoke goddess salad was the most interesting savoury dish: fresh, crispy, bright. Charred cos, blackened corn, sun-blushed tomatoes that had clearly been marinated – they brought a depth and sweetness that lifted the whole thing – goddess dressing. More ambitious than the standard pub salad, and it earned its place alongside the roast rather than feeling like an afterthought.

The popcorn chicken was the one stumble. Our youngest pronounced it soggy and declined to continue, and honestly, two more minutes at a higher temperature would have fixed it. A kids’ burger was requested, the staff were happy to help, and it arrived to considerably more enthusiasm.

The experience

The room was full on the day we visited, and the team, covering both bar and restaurant, were friendly and helpful throughout. The pacing of the food was slow, dishes arriving ten minutes apart, and cutlery was still on its way when the plates landed. Growing pains for a room that is clearly popular. Worth factoring in if you’re eating with young children.

The puddings

We finished with two desserts and they’re worth the detour.

The S’mores Cookie Dough arrived in a small cast iron skillet – hot, gooey, decadent, with a scoop of chocolate ice cream melting into it. The hot-cold combination is the whole point and it works. It’s very slightly on the side of overcooked (there’s a version of this at Oka that edges it) but it’s still a thoroughly satisfying finish.

The Vanilla Burnt Cream (£6) is the more interesting dish. Somewhere between a panna cotta and a crème brûlée: cold, set, with a proper caramel top and a vivid berry compote alongside. Tasty and fresh. What’s telling is that you find yourself reaching for comparisons with high-end restaurants rather than pub desserts. It doesn’t quite reach that benchmark, but the fact you’re making the comparison at all says something about what the Half Moon is attempting upstairs.

The damage

Food and drinks through the main course came to £85.45. We ordered desserts separately afterwards: another £18 or so on top, bringing the full bill to just over £100. That’s fair value for what landed on the table, and the non-alcoholic options mean you’re not penalised for not drinking.

Worth it?

The Half Moon’s refurbishment has given Putney something it didn’t quite have before: a proper upstairs dining room with light, views, and a genuine Sunday atmosphere. The food is solid with a few standouts – the focaccia and the vanilla burnt cream in particular – the drinks range is one of the more thoughtful in the area, and the ambition in the kitchen is real. The service is warm and willing; it just needs to catch up with the room. But if you’re choosing between standing at the bar downstairs and sitting in the sun upstairs with a roast, the choice isn’t difficult.

The Half Moon is at 93 Lower Richmond Road, SW15 1EU.