Sheen Suppers

 

On Friday evening I attended my second underground restaurant, Lara Newman’s Sheen Suppers. We arrived 10 minutes early and thought about waiting in the car until the allotted 7.30pm but I was too fidgety so we were the first to arrive. Early arrival is the hallmark of the hopelessly unsophisticated and over eager as I am all too aware.

 

Tim welcomed us in and immediately I was besieged by strong feelings of house-envy. Lara’s home is beautiful and crammed full of curious trinkets and beautiful art. Sitting in Lara’s living room was so much more interesting then going to a pine-clad minimalist restaurant. Most importantly Lara’s house is pink. I grew up in a pink house and I can say with certainty that there is no better colour for a house.

 

We waited in the sitting room alone for 10 minutes until the other guests arrived. A lady in a fascinator swept in at about 7.45pm which was probably the perfect time to arrive and further evidence that fascinators are awesome. Seriously, check out some of the fascinators people are making and selling on Etsy.

 

 

We started with braised ribs, a dish that I was apprehensive about because I have a problem with bones. My mother is the most lady-like woman I have ever met. She is so lady-like she goes to the loo in secret and she certainly doesn’t eat meat off the bone. As a result there is a gap in my childhood where eating ribs and chicken drumsticks should have been. I did my best and ate them with my fingers. The delivery of a finger bowl by Lara confirmed that thankfully we had been right to eat in the manner of a rabid animal. The ribs were delicious and sticky, given a bit extra sauce I could happily spend some alone-time with a bowl of these.

 

 

 

The main course was a lightly spiced curry of monk fish with arancini and peas. I would say this was the most sophisticated dish, I wouldn’t be shocked to pay £15 or more for this in a restaurant. As soon as it arrived my Aunt clocked the creamy broth and started fussing that there was no bread. Our family is half French and the thought of no bread to mop up the sauce can send one of our clan into a blind panic. As it turned out no bread was needed as the arancini soaked up all the sauce and the dish was very filling, bread would have been too much.

 

 

Pudding was a a real pick and mix of emotions for me. I’m not much of a dessert person but I adore ginger. The first mouthful of ginger cream and ginger blondie was heaven. It was the sort of dessert where you just stop talking, it required concentration.

 

Maybe I ate too fast, maybe I should have saved the white chocolate truffle for my coffee or maybe I shouldn’t have been drinking dessert wine. All I know is that by the time I had scrapped the last bit of cream from my plate wave upon wave of sugar-induced euphoria was coursing through my body and when our waiter Tim came to see how we were getting along there were polka dots in front of my eyes. Totally worth it though.

 

 

Cheese followed dessert in the English style which I can’t understand as sugar makes me feel replete just like cigarettes did for years. This was a fantastic cheese selection though, really generous and served with a fruity chutney. Did I mention that wine was served with the meal? Seen Suppers is exceptionally good value for money at £25 a head providing food that is exciting and better than many restaurants I have been to.

 

MsMarmiteLover, the Giles Coren of the underground restaurant scene, was also there but sadly I didn’t get the chance to meet her. She has written a review of the evening which was equally flattering however she does raise the question that it might have been better if Lara came out in between each course and if the tables were mixed so you could meet the other diners. This is a fair point but I think Sheen Suppers is appealing because with its location, its attention to the food and the intimate atmosphere it might appeal to many people who would not usually go to an underground restaurant. It’s exactly the sort of underground restaurant you would expect to find in salubrious Sheen and an interesting evolution of the secret supper phenomenon. You could easily go for a quiet meal with a lover or you could take family. I’d quite like to take my Mum, as long as there are no ribs on the menu.

 

If you would like to try Sheen Suppers just follow Lara on twitter here.