Absolutely reviews cool new Wimbledon restaurant, The White Onion, who has taken a fresh and modern approach to contemporary French cuisine
Words Georgia McVeigh
The White Onion is a stylish restaurant in Wimbledon, which from the exterior blends perfectly into the neighbouring – and equally high calibre – shops and restaurants.
Arriving for lunch on Saturday, the restaurant has a cosy and calm, country house feel, with a cream and blue panelled interior. The menu is classic French with a contemporary twist, and the few choice dishes are carefully selected.
To start, we chose the New Forest crispy duck egg and the venison, wild boar and green peppercorn pâté. The egg was served on a bed of lentils and confit duck leg rillettes, with caperberries and teriyaki sauce. The sweetness of the teriyaki complimented the saltiness of the confit duck, and the lentils made an otherwise rich starter hugely palatable. The pistachio peppered pâté came with a prune and Armagnac jelly and nutty toast to bring out the earthy flavour.
The restaurant manager, Pedro, recommended the Cornish cod and Assiette of West Country lamb for our main. The cod was succulent and flaky, with crispy skin, served on a bed of kombu glazed turnip, sautéed greens and wild rice accompanied by a thick and creamy beurre blanc. The lamb consisted of braised shoulder and a crispy cromesquis, with a gorgeous stack of pommes anna sprinkled with pine nuts and lamb jus.
For pudding, we chose a chocolate moelleux, with an oozing molten interior and a quince and chestnut crumble, served in a quaint preserve jar with a generous scoop of praline ice cream.
We were beautifully looked after throughout, and the final touch was the Head Chef, Frédéric Duval, coming around each table so we could meet the man behind this innovative and truly delicious menu. Clearly the care taken over their food extends to their
customers, too.
Visit The White Onion at 67 High St, Wimbledon, SW19; thewhiteonion.co.uk
