The Waterway in Little Venice.
My partner and I are invited to review another West London gem we are familiar with: The Waterway in Little Venice, and we are familiar with it for good reason; it is simply the most charming canal-side gastro pub/restaurant in West London, or quite possibly the entirety of London.
On the Terrace(s)
Now currently London may have temporarily been taken over by a fever pitch enthusiasm for the ‘beautiful game’, however, not only are England storming through their World Cup matches to put a smile on our collective faces, and glee in our patriotic hearts, but the sun has most definitely got its hat on too! The latter being perfect for the full Waterway experience, which will become evident the moment you lay eyes upon its gorgeous and spacious terrace.
Summer Dining
The very friendly staff show us to our table, and our evening here starts with a couple of delightful cocktails in the form of their gin based ‘Basil Smash’; just perfect for this weather. Relaxed and perfectly happy taking in the glorious surroundings here on the terrace, we order our food. For starters, I have the duck rilette and my partner the goats cheese fritters. In the interest of professionalism (ok, ok, my partner and I suffer from potential food envy so we usually sample each other’s choices) we can attest that both dishes are absolutely delicious. For our mains, I plump for the rib-eye steak and my partner the seared fillet of tuna. Now “steak is steak” you may say, however a perfectly cooked steak never misses the mark, and this really is perfectly cooked, flavoursome and very tender. My partner’s tuna is also sublime with its accompanying sauce vierge.
An Afterthought
By this time we are honestly sated but our aforementioned professionalism (cough cough) just won’t allow us to leave without sampling the desserts. I’m reliably predictable when it comes to desserts and there it is leaping out at me on the menu. I can’t resist, so the cheesecake is mine and my word does it hit the spot. The unusual twist of chocolate coated honeycomb pieces infused in it leave me beaming too. I do have a slight dilemma though as another of my favourites is present as well, so my partner succumbs to my ‘puppy dog eyes’ and orders the chocolate brownie, with chocolate ice cream and caramel sauce. A chocoholic? Me? Never! Despite her arm being ever so slightly twisted, she (ok, we) thoroughly enjoy it too.
So, with some confidence, we can impart to you that The Waterway’s food is head and shoulders above that proffered by many ‘gastro pubs’. To top it off you can enjoy it all whilst luxuriating in the sunshine and watching those barges idle past in smart, comfortable surroundings. What’s not to like?!
The Waterway, 54 Formosa Street, W9 2JU | Tel: 020 7266 3557 | Email: info@thewaterway.co.uk