Last Updated on June 2, 2022
Back to the Future in Barnes
2013 feels like a long time ago; a pre-Brexit, pre-Covid world without a war raging in Europe when Fiona from London Unattached and I headed down to Barnes to investigate Sonny’s Kitchen. It was the epitome of a great, casual local restaurant, owned by two of the smartest operators in the restaurant business, Michelin-starred chef patron Phil Howard (The Square) and serial restaurateur Rebecca Mascarenhas.
And now in 2022, I’m back at the same site opposite the iconic Olympic Recording Studios. The studio is now a posh member’s club with a cinema and café and Sonny’s has morphed into Church Road and is still owned by locals Rebecca and Phil. Church Road opened in September 2019 and is a ‘sister restaurant to Michelin-starred Elystan Street in Chelsea and Kitchen W8’. Nick Donnelley from Elystan Street leads the small kitchen team with the ever-cheerful Alan Parry running the front of house and helping us with some excellent wine pairings.
The interior has a warm and inviting feel with white walls, comfy aubergine chairs, atmospheric downlights and contemporary art prints on the walls.
There are a few tables outside and a stylishly put together private room with seating for up to 20 people with a sexy little bar at the front.
Talking of cocktails, a Negroni was a perfect iteration of the classic, a blend of Bombay Sapphire, Campari, and Martini Rosso with an elegant plus-sized ice cube keeping things cool. The strawberry and elderflower Bellini was a lighter, sweeter option and a great summer livener. Strawberry, elderflower cordial and limoncello were topped up with Prosecco with the limoncello giving a welcome hint of acidity.
A tangy little sourdough loaf turned up to help us mop up the alcohol!
Smoked mackerel rillettes with pickled cucumber, horseradish, parsley oil and sourdough toast were creamy and full-flavoured with a hint of bite from the horseradish and crunch from the cucumber. It’s just the type of fresh-tasting dish I want to eat at this time of year. The matched 2020 Pecorino, Ciu Ciu, Le Merlettai, from the Marche, Italy was zingy and lemony cutting through the richness of the fish.
The Clos des Fous 2018, Locura 1, Limari, Chardonnay from Chile was creamy with a well-balanced acidity and was the perfect foil for the vibrant colours and fresh summery flavours of macerated yellow and green courgettes with Amalfi lemon zest, savoury, olive oil and ricotta.
Roast chicken breast came with the sweet tang of a jus gras, properly al dente paccheri pasta tubes, the earthiness of hen of the woods mushroom, asparagus and garlic leaf. The soft tannins and red fruit notes of the 2018 Michel Niellon, Rouge, Chassagne Montrachet worked beautifully with the chicken bringing out the richness of flavours in this plate.
Grilled spatchcocked Cornish red mullet with a fab citrus glaze and a minestrone of spring vegetables and garlic leaf pesto was a fantastic dish aided and abetted by the softness and tropical fruit notes of the 2019 Trebbiano, Masciarelli Cvetic, Abruzzo, Italy.
A rustic apricot and almond tarte fine with a chamomile ice cream had a homemade feel – in a good way! – and the caramel nose and raisin and honey notes of a Château de Pierre Bise l’Anclaie, Coteaux du Layon raised the sweetness level even further.
Lemon posset with gorgeously gooey macerated strawberries and a fluffy citrus beignet was spiced up by the stone fruit flavours of a 2019 Weingut Knewitz, Auslese.
Everyone should have a restaurant as good as Church Road in their neighbourhood. The government should make it part of their levelling up agenda. However, in present circumstances that is unlikely so you’ll simply have to head down to Barnes!
Church Road 94 Church Road, Barnes, London SW13 0DQ
Leave a Reply