Charlottes Place was once a traditional-looking bistro but now it has become a bright and stylish new restaurant with all that that implies, something that Ealing really needs.

The Venue
Unless you are going to the neighbouring pub or are walking across Ealing Common, Charlottes Place would probably be an unknown or even undiscovered quantity. Until a few years ago it was a quiet, cosy place with lots of curtains and pictures that gave it the air of an antiques shop. Now, however, out have gone the drapes and in have come some structural changes such as moving the entrance and installing a skylight in the basement, so what was once a greasy spoon cafe has now become a busy, modern restaurant.

The Atmosphere
With no tablecloths, curtains or soft furnishings, if there are large groups in the restaurant this can make for quite a noisy atmosphere, so don’t expect it to be the place for a quiet romantic meal for two, unless it’s at lunchtime. That said, there’s a healthy buzz in the air which is always a good sign at a successful restaurant.

The Food
The a la carte menu (which is under £20.00 for three courses during the week and £25.00 for three courses on weekends) offers starters of Jerusalem artichoke soup, gravadlax of organic Scotch salmon, raviolo of veal osso buco and a pie with wood pigeon breast. Particularly recommended choices for starters are the wild tiger prawn tian with avocado and smoked paprika crostini and the caramelised onion tart. The tian is a beautifully composed melange of seafood and fruit nicely set off by the piquancy of the crostini. The onion tart is soft and giving, deliciously fresh and creamy with an intense flavour from the Montgomery cheddar cheese and well presented with a mixed cress salad and hazelnut oil.

For mains, the pan-fried sea bass fillet has a nice and crisply cooked skin revealing a juicy soft underbelly, with olive crushed new potatoes and parsley and caper sauce. The the confit duck leg consists of a huge limb with the tenderest of flesh that simply falls off the bone at the merest touch. This has a very satisfying accompaniment of celeriac puree, honey roast carrots and plum jus.

For desserts be sure to sample the seriously good prune and almond tart and the pineapple and candied ginger filo tart – very light and not too sweet – plus a dollop of coconut ice cream covered in shavings of fresh coconut: truly scrumptious. Also be sure to try the white chocolate cheesecake, which is quite a revelation in cheesecake circles and obviously the chef’s piece de resistance.

The Drink
The well-constructed wine list offers bottles from France, Spain, Italy, Germany and the USA, with house wines from £14.00. The house red, a Ortonese/Sangiovese Merlot from 2005, is well worth the price. There are other wines at prices of up to £90.00, plus dessert wines, champagnes, ports and brandies. There are also half bottles of wine from £12.50.

The Last Word
It’s good to see an old neighbourhood favourite doing so well. It always was a good restaurant, and happily it’s still as good as ever, and now probably the best restaurant in Ealing.

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