Last Updated on September 12, 2021
A new restaurant and bar in Ealing, West London – Meadow
I’m a West Londoner and although I often venture into London’s West End and further afield to dine out, I’m always really delighted to discover some rather special a bit closer to home that I can visit with my friends and family. Good neighbourhood restaurants are special – and ones like Meadow which double as destination venues even more so.
Meadow is a new restaurant and bar in Ealing offering a contemporary take on traditional Italian cuisine that ticks all my boxes, bringing a bright and breezy taste of Italy to West London. This large airy restaurant is situated on the Green, a vibrant bustling area in the centre of Ealing just a 5-minute walk from Ealing Broadway station. Its modern interior is bathed in greenery, bringing the outside in, even in the loos you can hear birdsong.
At the front of the restaurant, there’s a glistening bar while the seating area boasts burnt orange banquettes, upholstered velvet chairs and dark wood furniture,. Wicker shades hang from the ceilings and there’s a wicker swing in front of a floral vine in the centre which is perfect for those Instagramable moments.
Meadow’s co-founder Igor Matrosov has several successful ventures under his belt and is behind some of London’s favourite brunch spots including, Las Banderas. Here at Meadow, Matrosov alongside his executive chef Oliver Pollard and a 5* mixologist is bringing exciting pastures new to Ealing.
Chef Oliver Pollard has taken his inspiration from his extensive experience working with some of the tops chefs in the industry bringing together a mix of traditional Italian food with contemporary influences to create his new Italian fusion menu. At the heart of the menu is a custom-built charcoal grill which was custom made in Dorset and uses 100% ethically produced, distilled English charcoal which brings a distinctive ‘flavour of the forest’ to the dishes at Meadow.
Pollard says, “I wanted to create a menu that takes inspiration from Italian dishes, whilst having the freedom to interpret them in my style, and not be too tied down to tradition. I want to cook the food that I love to eat”.
Meadow prides itself in using ethically sourced seasonal British ingredients which will evolve with the seasons, they get their daily deliveries of fish from day boats on the South Coast and the West Country, live shellfish from Scotland and vegetables from skilled growers in the UK. When we arrived at Meadow it was already buzzing with a lively clientele.
We were seated in the back of the restaurant where we browsed the menu. Alongside traditional favourites and meats from the charcoal grill, there is a great selection of small plates, specials of the day including a catch of the day market fish, and handmade pasta prepared fresh each morning.
Both the wine and food menu allow you to eat and drink a very reasonably priced meal or you can push the boat out, dine on lobster and enjoy fine wines. The choice is yours.
We started the evening with cocktails from their signature and classic cocktail list, my classic Tommy’s Margarita with Tapiato Blanco tequila, lime and agave was smoky and refreshing.
My companion’s Pisco Sour, a cocktail that originates from Peru, was made with Barsoal Pisco, lemon, lime, sugar, egg white – a lovely frothy combination of sweet and tang.
We chose a selection of small plates to start: On specials – carabinero grilled prawns with lemon oil and chill, unfortunately, I can’t eat shellfish but they looked amazing and my companion devoured them with great gusto, he said they were absolutely delicious!
I ate a beautiful dish of Cornish mackerel cooked over coals with muscatel, fennel and chilli. I savoured the flavours of the melt in the mouth fish, fine shards of garlic and vinegar, which were balanced perfectly by the heat of chilli and the sweetness of muscatel.
We were keen to try the handmade pasta. The frilly stands of Mafaldine egg-free vegan pasta, made with roasted beetroot was an unexpectedly good dish that was given real depth of flavour by the crunch of almond breadcrumb which contrasted with the softness of the pasta.
For mains, I chose a generously sized free-range pork chop simply cooked on the charcoal grill; tender and full of flavour with a tasty side of herbaceous salsa verde. My companion ordered the grilled native lobster with butter and wild sea herbs, which looked spectacular. I was told it was wonderfully juicy, rich and satisfying.
On the side, a bowl of fresh bitter leaf salad with a great dressing and some excellent crisp truffle chips cooked to perfection rounded the main courses off perfectly
We accompanied our meal with a bottle of Lugarara La Giustiniana Gavi de Gavi, Piemonte 2020. Robust enough for our flavoursome meal, crisp and dry with notes of grapefruit.
Desserts are made by Meadow’s Northern Italian pastry chef, so we thought it in keeping to try his Amalfi lemon tart topped with a beautifully light nutmeg meringue… a lovely sweet ending to our meal.
Meadow is just what the neighbourhood needs (and also worth travelling for), a lively local brasserie with great service and a lovely relaxed atmosphere, serving seriously good food.
Meadow Restaurant
5-6 The Green
Ealing
London
W5 5DA
Tel 020 8840 2337
Looking for something different? we also like Pasta Remoli on Ealing Broadway and Villa di Geggiano in Chiswick
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