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.
Spread the loveThe Pitch Stratford is an open space area less than 5 minutes walk from the Stratford underground station. One foot outside the station and you already get the vibrant energy from the neighbourhood. The space is funky and colourful, perfect for the summer days to come and to spend a nice day with…
Spread the loveWhen you are wowed by a mere plate of tomatoes, you know that the rest of the menu is going to blow your socks off. This plate of heritage tomatoes, perfectly ripe, fragrant in the way that tomatoes should, not the bland specimens you get in supermarkets. Cut up into bite size pieces…
Spread the loveLondon never ceases to surprise me. Every now and then I still find parts of London that are a complete revelation to me. Recently I discovered this stretch of the river just down the hill from St Pauls and in the shadow of the Millenium Bridge. Unless you had business in any of…
Spread the loveCool Camden. It seems to be the destination for tourists visiting Camden Market or people driving through on their way to Chalk Farm or Hampstead. Linger a while as there are some hidden delights here. Chai Thali is a pleasant surprise. A newly opened Indian eatery housed in a large ground floor space…
Spread the love Tibits, the Swiss export is one of my favourite places for a plant-based meal in London. Their buffet style restaurant offers a variety of plant-based dishes that will suit all palates. Recently, head chef introduced their new Spring menu, new ingredients and influences. The dishes they have added on the menu are…
Spread the loveInterlude, an ambitious new restaurant in a recently restored manor house in a 200 acre parkland in Leonardslee Lakes in Horsham is not the usual place you would expect to find a fine dining restaurant serving up one of the most imaginative, seasonal and inventive menus I’ve had in a while. The kitchen…
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