Archway

Hidden within a single railway arch in Battersea, wine bar and restaurant Archway champions produce, people and the planet with its small monthly menu, planned according to seasonality. The side-door entrance is nondescript and very easy to walk past, none-the-wiser that right under your nose is a gem for wine and food lovers alike.

As you walk in, friendly staff hang up your jackets while relaxing music flows through the air, establishing the evening's simplistic yet sophisticated ambience. Long white candles flicker throughout the wood-panelled interior as the soft rumble of trains passes overhead. Below muffled echos of conversation, the atmosphere is one of conspiratorial enjoyment as strangers and friends sip on wines varying in vintage and variety yet are equally delicious in their carefully curated glory.

A slow trickle of diners becomes a stream, as booked tables fill up until every inch of marble tabletop is occupied. Sitting in the corner, comfortably set with a glass of Naoussa - a red Xinomavro from the wine bar - it's hard not to track the food as it makes its way from kitchen to table.

The fritto misto stands out with deep-fried pink prawns, delicate paper-thin courgette flowers, and a creamy basil aioli cut with a tart squeeze of lemon. The prawns are eaten whole, heads and all, and boy, are they crisped to perfection. As Archway is known for its pasta, the risotto bianco is the next obvious choice. Steaming hot and topped with tender, fall-apart rabbit, peas, and prosciutto, though there was a bone in the risotto, the flavour sensation this top-class dish delivered more than made up for it. 

The wine still flowing; next comes a duo of ice creams. The orange and armagnac sherbet - there is no better word to describe it - is tart yet sweet, zinging on the palette. Though overshadowed by the sorbet, the ricotta ice cream is creamy with that signature grainy ricotta flavour - subtly sweet yet savoury at the same time.

Wine finished, satisfactorily full, and with a smile on our face, we were planning our next trip to Archway before we'd even paid the bill.

Archway in is a neighbourhood restaurant and wine bar, aptly named due to its location nestled underneath the railway arches opposite Battersea Park. Enter through a secret side door where a waiter escorts you to the intimate and cosy dining setting, featuring a small open kitchen at the back, minimalist decor and candlelit tables.  

Headed up by ex-River Cafe chef Alex Owens, the modern Italian menu is a celebration of sustainable produce and aims to deepen the connection between land and table. There is a tangible focus on locally sourced and foraged ingredients that results in the small menu changing monthly for the freshest experience for diners. Start your evening off with delicious nibbles of fritto misto or flatbread with asparagus and anchovy butter. Then, per Ownes’ River Cafe training, fresh pasta arguably becomes the star of the show, with dishes such as taglierini, mussels and zucchini and cavatelli served in a rich venison ragu with pancetta. Elsewhere, expect to see meaty delights such as pork chop, pesto trapanese and green beans and grilled lamb neck, friggitelli peppers and horseradish.  

On the wine side of affairs, the intention is to explore ‘different style, methods, regions and producers’, challenging diners with unusual high-quality wines from the new and old-world. With many available by the glass and bottle prices ranging from £27 to £95, there is plentiful choice. There are also tantalising cocktails on offer, like the blood orange and pomegranate bellini or the infamous negroni spagliato.