Now that we’ve had some good weather, it’s great to get that buzzy pavement vibe when eating al fresco. So which local eateries are worth hitting the streets for?
Once, on holiday (remember those?), we were walking the streets of Kassiopi in Corfu, doing our usual of looking at every single restaurant menu before choosing where to eat. There were a couple of restaurants next to each other – one packed (remember those?), one empty. So, of course, we wanted a table at the packed one. Everyone loves a busy restaurant – great atmosphere and you’ve feel you’ve made the right choice, even if the food is mediocre. Of course, everyone else does the same thing. The next evening the previously empty restaurant was heaving.
So, if you’re keeping local, which restaurants have good curb appeal? Six of us went to Ma Cuisine in Kew for lunch. The inside was empty, but the outdoor tables were full of life and it was great to sit and watch the humming activity around us. I was glad I’d booked. There is a set menu of two courses for £19.50 or three at £22. Starters included salmon marinated in fennel seed and beetroot puree, chicken Caesar salad and, of course, their classic French onion soup – always delicious, whatever the weather.
The choice of starters is limited to five, and the others had a range of the chicken sautéed and served with a ‘petit pot of coq-au-vin’, ribeye steak au poivre, and crispy cooked risotto cake with wild mushrooms and rocket pesto. I opted for the fillet of stone-bass, king prawn and Provençal vegetables. The mains were all delicious although definitely on the small side – but maybe to be expected at £19.50 for two courses. It just felt good to be out in the sunshine, surrounded by lovely people in a local bistro. macuisinebistrot.co.uk
More prime pavement
Home SW15 In a hub of restaurants along Upper Richmond Road in Putney, a small but lovely front section on the pavement. Starters such as octopus ceviche, grapefruit, avocado and lime pickled onion and roasted monkfish with black squid orzo for mains. homesw15.com
Rock & Rose The best parade of restaurants for a brilliant outdoor vibe on Kew Road in Richmond includes Treviso, Chatora, Four Regions and the gorgeous Rock & Rose. Try their Peking Duck and watermelon salad to start and the might Cornish lobster Surf & Turf for mains. rockandroserestaurant.com
Forty Four East Sheen does lots of cafés with outside tables, but Forty Four is one of the few restaurants that has a lovely sectioned pavement area. Try a goat cheese & salt baked beetroot salad to start and maybe home made gnocchi with butternut squash as a main.
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