The Blurb
On a bright winter’s day, we paid a visit to the casually classy Coppa Club in Putney to see what the brand’s ninth iteration had in store. Its pretty riverside location sets it off to a good start, sitting just back from the hustle and bustle of the high street.
Inside, the combination of warm lighting, earthy décor and chilled jazz soundtrack set a mellow, welcoming vibe that invites you to sit back and stay awhile, whether it’s for brunch, dinner, drinks or a daytime workspace. It only opened in November, making it the second new Coppa Club of 2021. With eight other eateries already under their belt, this one has the same feeling of comfort and laid-back elegance that’s become synonymous with its siblings. It also boasts a similar European menu and spacious design that combines bar, restaurant, lounge and outdoor terrace.
The Style
Coppa Club Putney is decorated in earthy hues accented by varying shades of blues and greens with a complementary mix of textures throughout. Think exposed brick and wood panelling as the backdrop to velvety chesterfield sofas and an abundance of potted greenery that sets a calming, homey undertone.
The lounge and bar area – complete with bookcases and squashy armchairs – have an intimate, library feel, which flows somewhat seamlessly into one end of the dining space where comfy corner booths beckon as the ideal base for a relaxed lunch. It’s a subtle but noticeable contrast to the restaurant’s other end. There, a conservatory café-style feel abounds with lots of natural light, freestanding tables and bifold doors that lead out to an alfresco terrace.
Given the chilly temperatures on the day of our visit, we preferred the cosier ambience of the leather and soft fabric banquette booths. From here, we could see into the festively-bedecked lounge where a few people sat at the high window tables working on laptops, while others snuggled up in armchairs enjoying catch-ups over coffee. In the summer months, the outdoor tables are sure to be the ones to clamour for, with their river view and chic European vibe.
The Drinks
The fairly comprehensive wine list covers most of the regions and varieties that you’d expect. Given the icy temperatures outside, we opted for a bottle of an Argentinian Malbec: Pablo Y Walter, Mendoza 2020. Rich, smooth and chocolatey with a subtle hint of oak, it was a pleasant accompaniment to our meal, despite it not being the usual pairing for our dishes.
If you’re a cocktail lover, the Coppa Club offering features some of the classics plus others of their own creation that come artfully mixed up by the barmen. For our meal’s finale we opted for the Tiramisu Martini; a creamy caffeinated concoction that combined Amaretto with Brugal Anejo rum, white chocolate liqueur and espresso.
The Food
The bistro-style menu is reliably diverse with something for every type of diner, appetite and dietary requirement. Admittedly there are no adventurous standouts to take your taste buds by surprise, but there are plenty of options to choose from including pasta, salads, burgers, fish and more.
On our visit, we started off with the kiln smoked trout pâté with pickled cucumber and toast, and the Scottish salmon ceviche. The latter was our favourite; buttery soft, topped with a caper-lemon dressing and served with warm, freshly baked bread smothered in parsley butter.
As for mains, I’d been eyeing up the truffle pecorino malfadine as soon as the menu landed in front of me, but due to unnecessary dithering over whether I would prefer the crab linguine, a more decisive lunchtime diner had managed to score the last truffle-laden plateful. I was disappointed when the waiter informed me as such but was placated by his glowing recommendation of the vegetarian Giardino pizza which I ordered instead. It arrived even before the starter plates had been cleared, whereupon I was surprised to see it was a white pizza (without a tomato base), as the waiter hadn’t mentioned it nor was it clearly stated on the menu. It was a ‘nice’ pizza overall with its soft dough and gooey melted mozzarella, but except for a few juicy olives, the toppings were rather lacking in flavour and I’ll admit I missed the tomato base.
My dining partner opted for the festive menu’s turkey and pigs in blankets with two side dishes of roast potatoes and sprouts with chestnuts. The meat, red cabbage and gravy were all delicious and well cooked, but the meal was let down by the accompaniments. The potatoes arrived several minutes after the main plate, and the £4.50 side of sprouts was not just small but also entirely devoid of the chestnuts promised by the menu. Overall it was enjoyable, but a few small improvements would have made all the difference.
Fortunately, dessert saved the day. The sticky toffee pudding was warm, sweet and gloriously indulgent with a rich sticky sauce, crushed honeycomb and vanilla ice cream.
It was the perfect choice to redeem the restaurant after our mains, with all the comforting familiarity of the classic dessert we know and love.
The Details
www.coppaclub.co.uk
Coppa Putney, 29 Brewhouse Lane, London, SW15 2JX
02039375354
