Archway

Archway | Modern Italian Dining Under A Railway Bridge

There’s a fairly inconspicuous roundabout in Battersea called Queen’s Circus.

Next to that roundabout there are a series of similarly unassuming railway arches.

And underneath one of those railway arches (Arch 65) you’ll see a jet-back door, with a small, illuminated doorbell.

Ring that bell, and a waiter will pop their head around and you’ll be ushered into an elegant little hidden gem of a restaurant for one of the best meals in the neighbourhood. Archway is a cozily intimate, candlelit space covered in off-white wood panelling, and filled with cloudy marble tables, and rich olive-green seating.

Oh, and don’t be alarmed by the rumbling roof; that’s just from the trains passing overhead.

Presiding over all of it is the small open kitchen at the back, which is headed up by chef Alex Owens (formerly of the River Café and The Ledbury). She’s created a modern Italian menu that focuses on sustainability and seasonality which manages the remarkable feat of actually being fairly reasonably well-priced, too. (Be warned, you’ll probably be asked to order dessert at the same time as everything else, which makes for an interesting guessing game of ‘how full will I be?’).

So, saving some rom, start with the creamy burrata topped with winter leaves, grapefruit, oregano all drizzled with hot honey. For your main course you can tuck into the likes of grilled lamb neck with anchovy bagna cauda (a kind of garlic sauce) with braised fennel or a delicate sole with butter sauce and samphire. However, one thing we highly, highly recommend is the beignets. Here, they’re essentially polenta doughnuts served with honey mascarpone and stewed rhubarb and they’re little bullets of goodness (well, that fried goodness which we all know and love).

As for the drinks, you can expect your fair share of Italian wines which you’ll see lined up by the bar. They’ve also got a small selection of cocktails some of which are infused with seasonal ingredients, such as a blood orange and pomegranate bellini, as well as a classic negroni sbagliato.

Which is all a roundabout way of saying that Queen’s Circus is worth a visit.

NOTE: Archway is now open for dinner Wednesday to Saturday. You can find out more and book a table on their website right here.

Archway | Arch 65, Queens Circus, SW8 4NE

Fancy taking a trip over the river? Check out one of the best Chelsea restaurants next time.