La Trompette

The Rosette award for this establishment has been suspended due to a change of chef. Reassessment will take place in due course under the new chef'. Behind a neatly trimmed hedge, La Trompette, in the same stable as Wandsworth's Chez Bruce and Kew's Glasshouse (see entries), is the kind of restaurant we'd all like on our patch. Despite its suburban location on a side street, this is more than just a neighbourhood haunt and is very much a destination restaurant in its own right. The cooking has its roots in France, drawing on influences from the south and south-west particularly, and while there may be a degree of rusticity to it, it's neither clumsy nor prissy. Among impressive starters have been pheasant raviolo with mushroom and tarragon duxelle and a nicely restrained red wine sauce, and the more vigorous flavours of crab with saffron risotto croquettes, curried mayonnaise, mango and coriander. Main courses can bring on an accumulation of flavours, all adding to a satisfying whole: a moist fillet of sea bass, for instance, with Jerusalem artichoke purée, roast salsify and parsley root, the plate dotted with red wine vinaigrette, or roast chicken breast with thyme jus, tartiflette, green beans and spinach. Desserts run from classic crème brûlée to fruitier offerings like rhubarb with set custard and nut crumble, and griottine cherry tart with almond ice cream.