Sonny’s Kitchen is hidden away in Barnes and has been a favourite of West Londoners for many years. If you don’t live around here, you probably would not even know of this place. Let me introduce you.
This local Barnes eatery has been owned by restauranter Rebecca Mascarenhas for a long time and she has recently partnered with Phil Howard, a long time local resident.
Sonny’s Kitchen has recently been refurbished and a new team is in place, headed by the super talented Head Chef Tommy Boland. Tommy previously worked at two star The Square with Phil for 3 years. You can see the fine dining influence on the new menu at Sonny’s.
Chef Tommy Boland, Bagpipe Champion
Sonny’s is made up of a an upmarket deli, a stylish cocktail bar and a charming informal dining room with cosy blazing fires. The night we were there, the restaurant was full and the atmosphere was buzzing with conversations reverberating around the hard surfaces.
Our menu for the evening seemed simple on paper but was far from ordinary. We began with a grilled mackerel with fine potato salad, smoked eel and golden beetroot served with a light Montarels Viognier 2011.
The next course of a creamy wild garlic velouté served with light and crispy ham hock beignet was an absolute delight. I could happily have a plate of the beignet all by itself.
A taste of spring – a perfectly pan fried piece of pollock served with a vinaigrette of razor clams, barba di frate (friar’s beard) and leek hearts. Lovely firm fish with the contrasting salty bites of the barba di frate. and matched with the Seresin, Chardonnay Reserve – Marlborough 2010.
We then had the rather dramatically dressed roasted haunch of venison with beetroot purée, creamed cabbage, pickled pear & green peppercorns. A really robust dish of meaty venison offset by the sharp beetroot puree. This course was accompanied by a bold bottle of Gigondas, Domaine du Pesquier – Rhône 2009.
We had a surprise pre desert of a tangy tropical fruit salad with passionfruit, pomegranate and papayas topped with a mango sorbet. A great palate cleanser after the rich flavours of the venison dish.
Then the pudding that was on the menu was served, an unctious crème brûlée with griottines cherries. This was served with a very lovely desert wine, the Ch Fayau Cadillac, 2008 – semillon, sauvignon blanc, muscadelle.
It was a delightful meal with so many surprises. I didn’t know what to expect but the culinary talent behind this restaurant really shines through in the food. The cooking is of a standard that you would expect in the more formal fine dining establishments in Central London but how lucky that West Londoners get to enjoy such refined cooking in an informal setting. Sonny’s is also extremely popular for Sunday lunches and is usually full of local families.
I’m a restaurant reviewer, home cook, beef geek and curious traveller. I've been blogging since 2009 and in that time, eaten out a lot, travelled to new places and cooked quite a bit too. I'd like to inspire you to be more curious about the world around you through travel stories, recipes and exciting cuisines.
A chat with Chef Malcolm Lee of Singapore’s 1 star Candlenut Restaurant, at World’s 50 Best in London. By getting 1 Michelin Star for his heritage restaurant, he has paved the way for recognition of heritage cuisine elsewhere in the world.
Spread the loveYauatcha City launched with a fab party at their new Broadgate Circle location. The beautiful people gathered, champagne and cocktails were flowing and trays of delectable dim sum and patisseries were sampled. Yauatcha City has taken over this great space on the first floor of Broadgate Circle. Previously the home of a wine…
Melabes on Kensington High Street, serving Mediterranean dishes which will please. From the velvet hummus to perfectly crispy falafel. Grab some flatbreads, slather in the delicious dips and wrap it around some rib eye and kebabs. A delightful way to eat.
All your old Italian favourites and some new modern Italian/British dishes served with warm Italian hospitality can be found at the regionally Spaghetti House. The pasta is always al dente and all dishes are individually prepared. I am glad to have found it again. It’s time other people rediscover them. A true London classic
Spread the loveLondon’s hunger for burgers has not abated, even with the recent flurry of high profile launches of new American burger imports. We now have a new homegrown burger offering. Grillshack on Beak Street in Soho is the new Richard Caring backed venture which positions itself as a casual, fast food place with a typically…
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.AcceptRead More
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
Sonny’s Kitchen Barnes http://t.co/jATSTBJf9m via @eatcookexplore_
Sonny’s Kitchen Barnes http://t.co/MKF9bvZ47s via @eatcookexplore_
Thank you @eatcookexplore_ for your great write up! We look forward to seeing you again soon http://t.co/XwNQCywXIz