'The décor is cosy in a way that makes you want to order the entire menu'

Vinoteca, Chiswick

Open daily midday–11pm

Vinoteca have already established a solid reputation for good quality food and wine since their 2005 opening in Farringdon. Their latest branch in Chiswick doesn’t disappoint with its easy charm and sensational wine shaking things up in this slightly sleepy part of west London, and it was certainly doing a good job when we went over on a post-Big Storm Monday night.

The new place is warmly lit, bottles of wine line the walls and the décor is cosy in a way that makes you want to order the entire menu and sit for hours chatting over a bottle(s) of wine. The menu reads well in that everything on it sounds appetising, so we ended up sharing everything, reaching across the table and unceremoniously swapping plates throughout our dinner.

We shared a small pyramid of steamed mussels served in a very delicate broth of fennel and white wine with just a hint of chilli that brought the dish together. This was followed by spiny artichoke salad served with late tomatoes and soft pieces of Westcombe ricotta artfully sprinkled in a very good combination of flavours. Everything on the menu here comes with very well chosen wine pairings, and we opted to go with these rather than reading the enormous and intimidating wine menu.

These were followed by our main dishes of Grilled Devonshire leg of lamb with cima di rapa and olive sauce. The lamb was well cooked and delicious, especially when paired with the full bodied Johanneshof-Reinesh Pinot Noir. While the lamb was definitely a rich dish perfect for chilly autumnal evenings, the plaice served with curly kale and roast spuds was very fresh and light – though other root vegetables could have complimented this dish more than the baby potatoes did. The fish itself was delicious and went well with the Madregale Bianco, I was also reminded of my lack of fish-eating- skills as evidenced by the inelegant heap of fish bones which no doubt scared the waiters.

The desserts here are wonderful and interesting – my imagination was caught by the Gongonzola dolce & pomegranate molasses served with wafer thin crackers. Despite the unusual combination of flavours it works extremely well – balancing out the sweetness with a little bit of salty bite which is perfect, if like me you’re not a chocolate pudding person.

Vinoteca, 18 Devonshire Road, London, W4; www.vinoteca.co.uk/chiswick; 020 3701 8822

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