La Trompette
Chiswick, London
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On the Turnham Green edge of Chiswick, La Trompette fits in snugly among the local recherché gift shops and picture-framers, a neighbourhood restaurant for the more well-heeled purlieu. An integral component of the Bruce Poole/Nigel Platts-Martin stable for two decades, it has achieved an enviable level of polished consistency over the years. Current chef Greg Wellman previously cooked at sister restaurant the Glasshouse in Kew (now closed), and the culinary compass needle still points firmly to the Mediterranean coasts of France and Spain, with a little meaty pasta here and there. Monthly changing prix-fixe menus for lunch and dinner are the deal, with just a couple of supplements. Wellman is endowed with that subtlest culinary talent, the ability to let dishes grow and develop in the eating rather than biffing you into submission at the first mouthful; what appears straightforward at the outset becomes a true composition (and an intricate one at that) by the finish. Thin slices of cured bream lie at the bottom of a bowl of chilled pickling liquor, with shredded kohlrabi, cucumber and citrus crème fraîche, topped with a snow-white sprinkle of iced horseradish, adding raging heat as well as ice. A main course of roasted cod is built up from sardine vinaigrette, anchovy, full-powered aïoli, pipérade and pink fir potato, while the elements of lamb niçoise, roasted red pepper and green olive, are strewn about a plate adorned with braised artichokes, olive-oil mash and basil, the meat itself starring as both neck end and slow-cooked shoulder. There is a sure touch throughout, even in a gentler version of tartare made with veal, plus a tiny splotch of truffle cream, white asparagus and a breadcrumbed soft egg. At dessert, July brings a fragile tartlet almost overloaded with pistachio sponge, vanilla cream and strawberry jelly, alongside another hot-and-cold detail, kampot (Cambodian black pepper) ice cream. To complete the offer, a magnificent wine list throws a wide net over the best of modern global viticulture, with splendid selections by the glass from £7.
