The food is very very good... Actually fantastic. Wasn't sure what to expect as not one of the big names on the restaurant scene at the moment but by god I will be going again. Beef Wellington was the winner!

Just realised my review below was too long so got cut off in the cut and paste...

... Then there's the cocktails, at least ten pages of that, and the cognacs, whiskey and almost every other spirit under the sun. I spent a good twenty minutes reading and in truth I wanted to steal a menu away. Very surprised to note that every wine is available by glass, carafe and bottle.

Anyway, the food – really good. Really very very good. A bit expensive on the Wellington (£29) but at least it had all the vegetables I wanted included in the cost. Shame they didn't have spinach or beans though which I thought a little strange given they are British staples. But being honest, I didn't really care. The beef was so good it made all the other dishes we had pale in comparison which is very unfair as they varied from very good to truly excellent. Scallops were divine, the cauliflower and stilton soup just lovely without being heavy. Portions are substantial to the point of being too large, but I'm not kidding when I say we were compelled to eat every morsel, no matter how full we were.

Didn't manage a pudding sadly but that's there for the next time. Going to try their range of ports as well which look really tempting.

Not everything is perfect however – the music was a bit elevator for me and the lights could be dimmed more as it could do with a bit more intimacy later in the evening. The artwork is a bit surreal – my partner “got it” but I certainly couldn't work out why a sheep would sit next to a stamp. Odd.

So now I'm a bit spoilt for choice in the Fulham Road area – La Famiglia which I love, Hache for burgers, and The Penny Black for big grown up food, wine and cocktails.

Local restaurant, top end service, supreme kitchen. Bit pricey, but then the best things always are. Would I recommend it? I've already booked a table for Mother's Day.

I am surprised - really, I am. Not because The Penny Black Restaurant is good, actually, better than good, but rather because I never consciously realised that British food covers a wide spectrum of produce and taste. The Penny Black opened as far as I can work out about four weeks ago and is so discreet in its appearance that I never knew it existed until I received an invitation through my mailbox for drinks and canapes. I duly went along with my partner, more out of curiosity than anything else, and when I arrived it was packed full of local residents, businesses, and more than a few of my neighbours! The first thing that struck us was the clean, simple yet discreetly sophisticated decor, a mix of neutrals, dark red and black. There isn't much glitz or glamour, or rather there isn't much overt glitz or glamour, but what is there is a really cosy atmosphere that I felt extremely comfortable in. We were greeted by what later transpired to be the owner and after a chat and a few swigs of a lovely red wine, our attention was drawn to the canape trays that had arrived with miniature beef wellingtons and ohmygod. I haven't had a beef wellington in years, literally, but the sight of these little slices of melt-in-the-mouth pastry-encased beautifully pink beef made me dribble, a lot. I haven't felt excited about food like this in quite a long time, so we made a reservation for a proper dinner at the weekend. The actual dinner was over and above my surprisingly high expectations. Service was impeccable, very friendly and attentive without being overbearing in any way (i hate that in good restaurants - I want to be served, but I don't want to feel that every mouthful of food I'm eating is being watched and examined). The drinks list can only be described in one way - exceptional. There are loads of wines, probably at least a hundred, and every single one has a description explaining its characteristics and flavours. Then there's the cocktails, at least ten pages of that