London,

Genuine local: drop in for breakfast, lunch or dinner

By Charles Campion, London Restaurant Guide 

Large, cool, comfortable - modern art and modern food - 11 Abingdon Road took over from old-timer Phoenicia and from the very day the doors opened seemed a part of the scenery.

This is the archetypal local restaurant and comes from the same stable as Sonny's (see p. 355) and the Phoenix Bar&Grill (see p. 332).

Sensibly enough this place offers breakfast, coffee, lunch, tea, dinner and supper depending on what time you drop in.

The menu changes continually and every day a couple of dishes are added and a couple dropped, which allows the kitchen to offer whatever is in season.

The cooking style is Modern British with an elusive influence from California (think Alice Waters).

Starters may include home-made potato gnocchi with a rich duck ragù, or barrel-aged feta with marinated chargrilled vegetables and flat-leaf parsley - a grand combination of textures and flavours.

Or how about smoked haddock, frisée and dandelion, with a soft-boiled egg and mustard dressing? Mains might include roast Cornish plaice with shiitake mushrooms, spinach and Parmesan - fresh fish, foreign fungi, Italian cheese that works surprisingly well.

A rib-eye steak comes with garlic-fried potatoes and red wine and shallot butter, and there's Welsh chump chop, on celeriac purée with grilled red onion and rosemary glaze.

Puds round up the usual suspects - chocolate brownie; lemon tart with roast fig; and proper pancakes with lemon.

The standard of cooking is good and presentation just qualifies as unfussy.

The service is helpful and the wine list meets its local restaurant obligations.

Details are correct at the time of publication - please check with venue before booking.

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