Adding tone to the neighbourhoodNINGTON&VAUXHALL
This restaurant is a member of London's leading family of neighbourhood restaurants and is related to Sonny's (see p. 355).
Anyone fancying their chances in what is a cut-throat marketplace would do well to study these establishments.
They are all just trendy enough, the service is just slick enough and the cooking is marginally better than you would expect - with competitive pricing.
There's a large, white-painted room inside and a large, white-painted courtyard out front where you can eat alfresco.
Starters may include a salad of chicory, pears, walnuts and gorgonzola; home-cured bresaola with rocket and shaved Parmesan; grilled scallops with organic leaves, tomato and herb oil; or pumpkin ravioli with sage cream and Parmesan.
The famous vincisgrassi maceratesi - an epic eighteenth-century truffled lasagne - is on the menu it is a 'must have' indulgence.
Mains range from gnocchi with roast butternut squash and girolles; through roast rump of lamb with grilled sweet potato and glazed shallots; to spiedino of monkfish and scallops on Piedmontese peppers.
Among the puds are chocolate cake with toasted almond ice cream; spumone Amaretto; and apple fritters.
Service is friendly and the wine list has bottles for most circumstances.
The Phoenix Bar & Grill
Lower Richmond Road, London, SW15 1LY
