Tag Archives: Chiswick

Franco Manca, Chiswick

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As a Chiswick resident I have always been intrigued by Franco Manca’s renowned pizza. The restaurant, which also has outlets at Brixton Market and Westfield Stratford, is filling a gap in the market to provide traditional artisan sourdough pizzas at very reasonable prices.

The atmosphere encourages guests to relax and unwind. Diners sit around the open kitchen, watching and smelling the cooking. Numerous friends have recommended this rustic and delicious pizza to me and I was delighted to be finally trying the Franco Manca food.

The Spring menu starters are simple and effective, and are served in cute dishes. Baked aubergine is layered with tomato and organic mozzarella, each component perfectly balanced and seasoned. My guest tried the Baked Gloucester Old Spot sausage with pecorino and tomato… it was wholesome and tasty though he ending up stealing half my starter – I always choose best. It became apparent very quickly that this restaurant puts a real emphasis on using the best local produce and organic ingredients. The recipes are simple but lovingly prepared which is shown in the high quality of food.

Our white wine was quaintly served in glass beakers, though I was a little disappointed with the lack of bottle cooler, a light and fruity bottle of organic white, refreshing and ideal on a breezy late summer evening. The pizzas are made with the best tomatoes, cheese, meat and vegetables so the taste has a Mediterranean freshness about it. I thought my pizza was the best, number 6: tomato, organic cured chorizo (dry and semi-dry) and mozzarella (£6.95) – a soft and airy base topped with peppery chorizo, rich in flavour and blissfully luxurious. We also ordered number 4 – topped with Gloucester Old Spot ham, mozzarella, buffalo ricotta and wild mushrooms. This was a combination of ingredients that worked really well. I found the pizza bases a little on the thick side, but then again they need to be quite sturdy to hold the generous toppings. There is little choice at Franco Manca, no Calzone is on offer and variations are limited… I prefer this limitation as I find choice too stressful but can see some visitors being disappointed with the lack of variety.

Italian desserts are irresistible: my tiramisu was divine, light and fluffy cream, addictive coffee soaked sponge and chocolate… too good to leave unfinished. The ice-cream was nice too but a little bland in comparison with my star pudding.

A good local pizzeria is a special find, and I feel lucky that Chiswick has such a winner on its high street.

Visit the Franco Manca website here for more information.

Jamie Oliver arrives in Chiswick with Union Jacks

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Jamie Oliver seems to have a restaurant in every borough of London, affirming his position as the city’s favourite chef, so it seems only sensible that he brings his appealing grub and lovable character to West London, after all we have waited long enough. Chiswick High Road houses a plethora of restaurants and cuisines – so many eateries come and go, it is easy to be unaware of the streets latest offerings. Jamie Oliver’s new Union Jacks casual cool diner suits Chiswick.

Keen to cover all Chiswick’s highlights, it was essential that I checked Union Jacks out… with, of course my favourite Chiswick girl guest. The venue is quirky and fun, and already feels firmly established despite only being a mere few weeks old. Upstairs we had great window seats overlooking the High Road, ideal for voyeuristic diners. The staff are young and hip and seem trained to speak in Jamie’s trendy lingo, which we found quite hilarious. The drinks are simple but innovative, I particularly enjoyed the Roobarb & Custard drink made with Chase Hereford Rhubarb Liqueur, apple and cinnamon… served with an awesome stripy straw!

This chain was set up by Jamie with American chef Chris Bianco whose small restaurant in Phoenix, Arizona apparently serves the very best pizzas around. The menu focuses on ‘flats’ – wood fired pizzas adorned with big British flavours. There are a few other options available but they pale in comparison to the bread based recipes. First we had a few little plates: smoky and delicious Sausage and Bacon with strong ale & sage mustard and Smoked Trout with fresh horseradish & baby yorkies… this was an unusual combination and apparently tasted extraordinary.

The flats flavours are bizarre, my friend was brave and tried the Fish Pie variation which actually looked beautiful and had a lovely flavour. With Smoked Pollock, heritage potatoes, sweet leeks & delicate little Welsh cockles, it was a work of art. I chose the Juliette: a take on the Margarita, which I then jazzed up with shoulder of pork, one of the wonderful extra choices. The pizza/ flat was highly flavoured, with the base cooked to perfection, but I would have liked perhaps a little more topping to prevent it from being too dry. We also tried the intriguing purple sprouting broccoli with crushed hazelnuts, bacon bits and roasted garlic, it was a very inventive side.

Overcome with joy about the exciting homemade ice-cream, we ordered a small scoop of each of the numerous flavours. I thought the Eton Mess and Bramble Ripple were best though my guest loved the indulgent Snickers bar flavour which was chocolatey and nutty in equal measure.

Jamie Oliver is unstoppable, Union Jacks in Chiswick is further proof of his unbelievable energy.

Visit the website here to book.

Annie’s, Chiswick

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Last weekend I took a trip down memory lane venturing to Grove Park in Chiswick where I first went to school. A lovely leafy part of West London that perhaps embodies the spirit of Chiswick more than the High Road or Turnham Green.

My destination, Annie’s immediately felt like home, every detail of this charming restaurant is comforting and thoughtful. Blankets hang off the back of chairs for chillier evenings and above the front door a humorous (but true) sign reads ‘Life is too short to drink cheap wine’. The décor is bright and magical, golden mirrors reflect the colourful, happy vibrancy of the place and flowers sit contentedly on the tables. It is located on the corner of Thames Road and I envy the nearby inhabitants who can call Annie’s their local. All the staff are warm natured and friendly, ensuring our visit was extra special.

The menu is filled with tempting dishes and we made several ‘final’ decisions of what to eat before changing our minds yet again. It soon occurred to me that Annie’s is the type of place where anything you order will be amazing. Sitting outside in the breezy sunshine, the heat tickling our skin and sunglasses shading our eyes, it truly felt like the first day of summer. So we chose a meal to match the seasonal feeling.

After wake-up orange juices, and a couple of the new cocktails (lychee martini and spiced apple and cinnamon martini) both irresistably yummy, our starters arrived. Enticed by the daily specials, I chose the cheese souffle, which definitely ran the risk of being divine or disappointing – souffle is a tricky dish. It was better than divine, airy and light but full of flavour, served on a complimenting bed of crunchy salad leaves and extra sweet halved cherry tomatoes. It was, without doubt one of the best starters I have ever had, delicate and delicious, a balanced, fresh recipe made to perfection. My guest was equally delighted with her choice, the Grilled Halloumi, Roast Squash, Fig & Caramelised Shallot Salad, a glorious mix of ingredients that combined to make a healthy and vibrant dish, the Halloumi and Squash made a particularly nice pairing.

For main, I couldn’t resist the House Special, the summery Roast Corn-Fed Chicken with Gremolata & Mixed Leaves, to this day I am proud I turned down the offer of chips. The chicken was well cooked but not dry and covered in a heavenly crispy crackling skin. I found the Gremolata a little oily, but in moderation provided a flavoursome and very garlicky dip for the poultry. My friend decided on the day’s special, the Chicken Tagine, a comforting terracotta bowl of vegetables and meat seasoned with delicious spices. Accompanied with a small bowl of couscous it was a hearty treat.

Mulling over our wine and cocktails, we paused before pudding and relished the lovely sunshine and friendly atmosphere of Annie’s. Desserts took less time to choose, we both instantly knew what we wanted. Along with a devilish chocolate orange martini (thick and luxurious, but too alcoholic to do anything other than sip), we ordered Crème Brulee with Biscotti and Chocolate & Ginger Brownie with White Chocolate Ice Cream. The brownie was a hefty portion, and I think my poor friend was a little daunted by the task of finishing it… especially when she loved it too much to leave! I thought the White Chocolate ice-cream was particularly good – filled with flakes of creamy chocolate, it was rich and indulgent. My brulee was very good, flavoured with (I think) a kind of citrus liquor and served with a hard almondy biscuit. I actually thought the biscotti a little unnecessary, the creamy dessert held its own.

I urge you to resist the convenient restaurants on the High Street and walk towards the river to a Chiswick eatery that will provide much more vivid memories, and much more appetising food.

Visit the Annie’s website here for more information and to book.