Edera

You'll enjoy this restaurant if you like eating bad food for extortionate prices and enjoy being instantly judged as soon as you walk through the door. Came here with my wife on a trip down to London for our 3 year wedding anniversary and it felt like we were treated like second class citizens. My wife ordered a pork dish and I ordered the calves liver and spinach both of which I could have cooked better and presented better if I had cooked it at home. My wife’s was literally a slab of pork that had been grilled and some roast potatoes with a little seasoning. My dish was even worse, the calves liver which I asked to be cooked medium rare was raw inside, when I raised this with the waiter I didn't even get an apology and to make matters worse instead of cooking me a fresh dish it looked like they had popped the original in the microwave and heated it up which gave it a nice rubbery texture when it came back. I wouldn't go back to this restaurant if you paid me. The attitude of the staff is very elitist, the prices are high and the food is bad.

Easily missable when you walk up Holland Park Avenue, I looked past the dodgy slate table mats and the murky awning only when I was fed up with the surfeit of chain restaurants in the area. My scepticism was increased by the hefty price tags for a Saturday lunchtime, however this vanished at once on stepping through the threshold. Our coats were whisked away by charming Sardinian waiters and we were escorted into a light, stylish and vibrant room. Surrounded by enough noise to comfort but not enough to intrude we sat down to white linen tablecloths and smart, elegant decor.

The food was equally understated but of even higher quality. My Sardinian special of wild boar ragu matched up well to my friend’s lamb shank, however the subtle flavour and the delicate texture of the home made sea bass ravioli certainly stole the show. After two delicious courses I was ready to leave on a high and skip pudding, but the relaxed atmosphere and the friendly staff persuaded me to linger on a while. In retrospect this was an excellent decision as I sampled the zabaglione – sweet and deceptively light, this was one of the best desserts I have had in recent memory.

Although the prices are steep they reflect the layer of subtlety on top of the fantastically fresh Italian ingredients. Add in the delightful service and you have one of the most enjoyable lunch spots in West London.