All of the Real Housewives and Ladies Of London cast members have money to burn, but have very different ways of earning it. Some have side handbag collections, cookbooks, and endorsements, but others, like Lisa Vanderpump, Bethenny Frankel, and Marissa Hermer, are crushing the game with their successful businesses. This season of Ladies of London has made me especially curious about Marissa Hermer's restaurant, as she's been filmed there multiple times, and after looking into it, I might have to make a reservation.
Marissa’s husband, Matt, is the founder and CEO of Ignite Group, which owns a bunch of bars, lounges, and restaurants all over London. But don’t’ be fooled — Marissa is in on it, too, and we see the two working together on Ladies Of London. Though Ignite Group owns London hot spots like Boujis and Eclipse, Bumpkin is the restaurant that viewers see all the time on Ladies Of London. It’s where the ill-fated Fourth of July party took place in Season 1, and it’s where the ladies stop by to film, have a cup of tea (or wine if we’re being real here), and trash talk whomever isn’t sitting there. I mean, it makes sense that the show would film at any of Bumpkin’s locations — it’s very easy to get permission to film a show at a restaurant if one of the women in the cast basically owns the place. Plus, who would want to give up that publicity?
According to its website, Bumpkin is “your local, award-winning Great British Brasserie, a home from home serving delicious British dishes, made with locally-sourced, seasonal ingredients. Bumpkin is your perfect neighbourhood retreat, and we look forward to serving you the best in British food soon.” Though the menu changes often because most of the ingredients are gathered from local farmers, sample menu items include cod and chips, served with smashed minted peas; pearl barley risotto with peas, broad beans, mixed mushrooms, and seasonal veg; salmon salad with a poached free-range egg, mixed baby greens, cherry tomatoes, broccoli, lentils, and mustard dressing; and sticky toffee pudding served with salted caramel ice cream. Is everyone suddenly starving?
The reviews on Yelp aren’t bad, either. The South Kensington location of Bumpkin boasts 3.5 stars on the site, and reviews say things like “The gravy was incredible,” “Simply nice,” and “We liked this place so much we ate here two days in a row.” Some complain that service is slow, but I myself like to linger over a meal, so you wouldn’t get a complaint from me. There seem to be a lot of Americans who are suddenly dining at Bumpkin, and I bet that’s due to its visibility on the show. But still, people in seats at a restaurant are never a bad thing.
Marissa’s experiences at Bumpkin inspired her to open her very own restaurant, Top Dog Diner, in 2015 (unfortunately, the spot has since closed). But with three locations, Bumpkin is a bonafide hit in London, and it’s certainly nice to know that as long as Ladies Of London is on television, the cast will have a spot to film all their parties.
Images: Rebecca Miller/Bravo
