Restaurants & Bars

 

We were recommended to try Villa di Geggiano by a friend who knows Chiswick well and things were looking good when we found a parking space just around the corner from the restaurant, a unique experience in London, particularly on a Saturday, and put us in a good mood for our lunch.  At the moment Villa di Geggiano is only open for lunch at weekends and for dinner during the week from 6 pm but we were told that this may change when the days start to warm up and the terrace and gardens can be made full use of – they obviously know their market and when customers want to visit.

Chiswick is not an area that we are familiar with so had not known about the struggling restaurants that had tried and failed on these premises.  Some may have predicted that Villa de Geggiano too were doomed but they had not reckoned with the expertise of the Bianchi Bandinelli family.

Their background is from the highly desirable Chianti region of Tuscany, which is already a firm favourite place with the English, so much so that it is fondly referred to as Chiantishire.  The original Villa di Geggiano, after which the restaurant is named, has been run by the family for over 400 years over which they have maintained and developed the Tuscan estate, each generation taking up the mantel to preserve the legacy.

Villa di Geggiano has been running since 2014 and so far all is going well.  A combination of Italian flair and a love of fine food and wine makes for a winning recipe.

Certainly our first impression was very promising – the restaurant has a lovely large terrace at the front which in the summer would be a welcoming ‘watering hole’ on the way home after work.

Villa de Geggiano in Chiswick terrace

 

Once inside we were greeted warmly by the general manager, Lukasz Borowski  who directed us to the lounge for a pre-lunch drink.  What confronted us was a very elegant room with an eclectic collection of antique, modern and quirky decorative pieces – nothing anodyne about this room and definitely a talking point whilst relaxing over a pre-lunch drink.

 

lounge at Villa de Geggiano in Chiswick

 

lounge at Villa de Geggiano in Chiswick

 

lounge at Villa de Geggiano in Chiswick

 

Presented with a list of traditional Tuscan cocktails from which to choose, it is unfortunate that we elected to drive to the restaurant or more precisely that  I had been voted designated driver.  If this had not been the case I would have loved to have tried a Passion fruit martini or Tuscan Devil both reasonably priced at £8.00.  Perusing the impressive wine list there are 8 from the Villa’s own vineyards made predominately with the local Sangiovese grape.   In fact it is believed that the Bianchi Bandinelli family were the first to introduce Chianti to our shores as early as 1725.

 

Villa de Geggiano restaurant in Chiswick

 

The actual restaurant is quite large, serving a hundred diners in the main room and there is a private dining area at the front of the building .   The large skylight floods the whole room keeping the interior bright and although we did not see it, the restaurant stretches further back to another garden at the back – in warmer weather this will be another lovely al-fresco dining experience away from the busy main street. .

The eccentric decor is repeated in the dining room with a mixture of pendant lights and a strangely green felt covered tree structure – we’re still wondering why even now!

Notwithstanding such eccentricities, the service and meal were par excellence.  In fact I can confidently state that I have not had a better three course meal.  It being lunch time I chose lighter options and started with Burrata con Caponatina di Melanzane, which lived up to its meaning in Italian, buttery – a delicious mixture of mozzarella and cream balanced against the light spiciness of the aubergine ‘stew’.  Robert had his favourite Tuscan dish which he always orders when it’s in season, Vitello tonnato  – this time the thin cuts of veal loin with tuna were accompanied with a saffron sauce, apples, celery and baby gem – he assured me this was no disappointment.

For our ‘secondi’ I chose the pan fried Monkfish with samphire, datterini tomatoes and celeriac cream – it is no exaggeration to say this was simply delicious – the fish was perfectly cooked and the other ingredients balanced the dish, particularly the use of the speciality datterini tomatoes with their added sweetness and seasonal samphire.  Robert went off-piste with the special of the day, Pasta with lobster – being true italians, this also was exceptional.  Not really needed but we had side dishes of small roast potatoes with rosemary and garlic and some spinach enlivened with chilli.

Finally we could not resist the puddings, I had the vanilla panna cotta and hazelnut foam and Robert an apple semifreddo and jelly with white chocolate and crumble.

Naturally a restaurant of this standard is not cheap but Villa di Geggiano is overall good value as the food was exceptional.  Our starters were £8 and £12 respectively and our main courses £25  and puddings at £7 each.

Four years on and Villa di Geggiano is still going strong and I’m certain that there are many more treats in the pipe line to offer their customers.

So don’t just leave this gem to the locals – a specific trip to Chiswick is well worth the effort.  Villa di Geggiano is a special place and the closest you will get to Tuscany in the middle of Chiswick.

I hope that they have broken the curse of 66-68 High Street Chiswick – they certainly deserve to.

 

Chef and kitchen staff at Villa de Geggiano in Chiswick

The skilled kitchen team that produce the magic

 

 

 

Chrissy Jarman Features Editor of The Vintage Magazine

 

Chrissy studied at Southampton University where she gained a degree in Fine Art Valuation and worked for 16 years at Gerald Marsh Antique Clocks in Winchester, now known as Carter Marsh.  Following her departure from Carter Marsh she has been instrumental in the launch of The Vintage Magazine and the design of its website.  As well as being a contributing author she is the Features Editor of the magazine with special responsibility for Arts and Culture.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rick Stein The Seafood Restaurant glass frontIn the past year, the Rick Stein story has been turned up a notch as this well-known ‘Brand’ has been developed and promoted throughout the UK, as one  new restaurant after another has sprung up in every affluent town.

Our first encounter was at Sandbanks, notoriously known as having some of the most expensive real estate in the world, and then at what was ‘The Depot’ a well-loved riverside restaurant in Barnes, where it is now ‘bedding down’ nicely as a new Rick Stein.

Bearing in mind the extraordinary success of the Rick Stein brand, we thought we would go to where this empire was launched, the internationally recognised Seafood Restaurant in Padstow, Cornwall.

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Rick Stein at Barnes view of the River Thames

We had heard mixed reports about Rick Stein’s new restaurant in Barnes, situated on Mortlake High Street.  The Depot had been a much admired restaurant with a fine reputation frequented by a loyal clientele who would be bitterly disappointed if the Rick Stein team fell short of their expectations.  It was by recommendation of a friend and local that we tried Rick Stein Barnes as he had had some mixed experiences with this restaurant under its new management but hoped that by the time we visited those initial inconsistencies in service and food would be corrected.

Just a word to the wise to readers unfamiliar with the area and travelling to the restaurant by train, do not alight at Barnes Station but continue to Barnes Bridge from which the restaurant is only a few hundred yards away.  We unfortunately did the former so then had no idea where we were and had to stand by the busy road, in the rain, hoping a free taxi would pass which actually was not a frequent occurrence!

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The marble lobby of The Savoy London

The Marble Lobby of The Savoy – a portent of the delights of Kaspar’s Seafood Bar and Grill 

There are  hundreds of new places to go and be seen in all over London, but it is worth remembering, once in a while to frequent those icons of excellence, such as The Savoy Hotel because their reputations have been achieved for good reason.and this particular landmark building has been the beneficiary of a multi-million pound make-over.

Some might feel intimidated by such grand surroundings but amongst the grandeur is a dedicated staff that are proud of the excellence and reputation of The Savoy and are at pains to continue working to the same exacting standards for which the Savoy has been famous since Cesar Ritz was appointed General Manager by Richard D’Oyly Carte in 1889.

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Rick Stein Sandbanks Hot ShellfishHot Shellfish with parsley, chilli, olive oil, garlic and lemon juice, mussels, brown crab claw, langoustine, whelks, scallops, cockles, winkles, razor clams,oyster and clams –

One of the Inovative Dishes on Offer at Rick Stein Sandbanks

Recently we were in the magical county of Cornwall where we were fortunate enough to time our visit with an unprecedented period of sunshine filled days.  To be precise we were in Trebrethrick only a few miles from Rock and a short boat trip across the Camel estuary to Padstow, now fondly known as Padstein due to the predominance of Rick Stein eateries.  However, sadly for us on this trip we were unable to try any of Rick Stein’s emporia but on our return we travelled to Sandbanks in Dorset to try the latest establishment in his burgeoning empire.

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Le Caprice is owned by prolific restaurateur Richard Caring as part of Caprice Holdings bought in 2005 from Jeremy King & Chris Corbin who in their turn bought it in 1981 and throughout all this time it has been a firm favourite with the rich and famous, celebrities and media types alike.  Le Caprice is one of those eateries that continues to thrive whatever the economic state the country is in.  Its ideal location in Mayfair certainly helps but I believe its secret ingredient is that it has remained true to its original ethos.

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Le Caprice Mayfair London

This is the first in a series on ‘Establishment Eateries’, in other words, those  restaurants which have achieved iconic status, and, having just experienced the ‘Wiltons effect’, I can see why this establishment has enjoyed such lasting success.

Wiltons is the  ‘restaurant of choice’ ; the ‘default’ for the Aristocracy, Captains of Industry, Tory Grandees, Kings in Exile, Dukes and assorted Celebrities.

It is an impressive Establishment stronghold, reeking of confidence, and full of self-belief, but not self-satisfied or pompous; it remains endearingly accommodating, and welcoming, and the whole place runs like a well-oiled machine, its wonders to perform.

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Wiltons---Corner-Table-sharp

Who can resist this charming Southern Italian region? Be it the sea, the sand, the sun, the food or the wine, in Puglia, you name it, you get it!

Having a Mediterranean climate, little annual rainfall and the fertile soil, Puglia is heaven for farmers and wine growers and paradise for wine lovers. What’s better, the natural condition makes it easy for farmers to practice organic agriculture.

I visited a few wine estates in southern Puglia last year and was hugely impressed by the organic practices many have adopted and the modern interpretations of the local native grapes: Negroamaro, Primitivo, Susumaniello, Malvasia Nero, to name just a few. One of those traditional wineries with a modern twist is Masseria Li Veli  

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Wines-from-Masseria-Li-Veli

The Depot is a riverside restaurant in East Barnes where small terrace houses cost a million pounds each, so there is no shortage of customers for this highly desirable eatery.  It is also a great place from which to watch the final stages of the annual Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race.

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The Depot Conservatory overlooking the River Thames

It is possible to drive from Winchester to Chagford, on the edge of Dartmoor in two hours, but the final few miles to Gidleigh Park hotel can take another half an hour if you make the same mistake we did of relying on SatNav to take us to our destination!

Do not make the same mistake. Follow the instructions which the hotel give you, and you will avoid a veritable ‘Magical Mystery Tour’ of the ludicrously narrow lanes in this part of Devon, and the ire of your wife, or partner, and any passengers.

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Gidleigh park Chagford Devon