Sonny’s Kitchen

French
Barnes

Sonny’s Kitchen, situated in the picturesque, yummy mummy area of Barnes, has been around for over 20 years - a sign it must be doing something right.  Following a refurbishment in 2012, the restaurant has taken on a new co-owner, Philip Howard (two Michelin starred head chef from The Square), and new chef, Tommy Boland. We arrived to Sonny's Kitchen with no expectations other than excitement about being cooked for by such highly regarded chefs.

On arrival we walked through the bar (a nice area to stop for a pre-dinner drink) and through the restaurant to our table at the back. It was still early for dinner and the restaurant felt a little quiet. However, the tables quickly filled up (what recession?) giving the restaurant a much warmer atmosphere.

We started with two fish courses: grilled mackerel with a potato salad and roasted pollock served with a new vegetable for us – Barba being a fan more heady tastes, the pollock really stood out; a delicately seasoned dish where the flavours really blended well together. We were tempted to request another portion for dessert…

For the main course we had roasted haunch of venison, perfectly rare and served with beetroot purée and creamed cabbage. This was a slightly surprising dish as beetroot had never held a place in our hearts, but somehow the rich and colourful beetroot purée worked with the venison to deliver something special.

Dessert consisted of a crème brulée with griottine cherries; a free-standing dessert, which reminded me a little of a panna cotta, although still with the usual delicately crunchy, sugary topping. The cherries packed a bit of a punch, but the sharpness was perfect to prevent the dish from tasting too creamy.

Overall, the quality of the food at Sonny's Kitchen is excellent. Boland’s unpretentious menu is reflective of his character – lacking in ego, but clearly understands food and what flavours work well together.  The menu contains some classic favourites: rib eye steak, burgers and pizza, along with some more adventurous dishes. I’d recommend this restaurant for the fantastic food and will certainly be going back.

94 Church Road, SW13 0DQ

Average price for main course: £18
Average price for glass of wine: £7
Food/Drink: 5/5
Service: 4/5
Value: 5/5

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