Taverna Trastevere

Taverna Trastevere sits about halfway up the north side of St. John’s Hill Battersea. It’s one of those places that always seems busy, though one which for some reason didn’t really impinge on my consciousness until an old friend asked whether I lived nearby. She thought it looked good (or amazeballs might have been what she actually said) and was intrigued about why I hadn’t tried it.

It transpired I didn’t have a good reason why I hadn’t tried it. I don’t dislike Italian food, it’s a brief stroll away from my new flat, and there is plenty of choice for wetting your whistle both pre and postprandially that you’re more in danger of drowning it than wetting it.

Thus, excuses exhausted me and a friend presented ourselves for seating about 7pm on one of those late summer nights that veered between sultry and stormy. We wisely opted for an inside rather than terrace table as about the only thing you could be sure of that night was that it would rain at some point.

The dining area seemed quite large, and with the packed terrace this presented a number of covers that either spelled disaster or a well-run kitchen. Décor felt Mediterranean, with lots of sunflower yellow present and the ambience busy but friendly.

The menu offered a mix of classics including pasta and pizza, but of the more interesting sort, including ragus or toppings of oxtail, crispy pork cheek and turkey breast. These were combined with other mains such as grilled steak and seafood to present a classic Italian menu, and something which like the dining room itself felt like a cross between the two stalwarts of the Northcote Road Osteria Bologna and Buena Sera.

We opted to share a starter of veal meatballs. This looked small but had a succulent rich flavour and so proved to be more filling than it appeared, though I think we could have both consumed more. These and the main course were accompanied by a bottle of the house white, which though clean and crisp I don’t think was quite worth the £30 (+ service) that was being charged for it.

For my main course I had plumped for the grilled squid and prawns, with a side order of mixed vegetables. The seafood tasted sweet and fresh, a testament either to their buyer or supplier, as I drizzled some lemon on, it really did feel like I was perhaps on the Adriatic or Amalfi coast. The vegetables were a mixture of grilled marrow and courgette, they were nice, but I was a tad peeved that they arrived 10 minutes after the seafood.

My friend very much enjoyed his substantial portion of tiger prawns and spaghetti and like me was impressed by the quality of the ingredients and had found them more filling than expected. The puddings looked to be of a similar high quality but feeling the need of a pick me up rather than a slow me down we opted for a pair of espresso martinis. These were cool, dark and smooth, much like me in my younger days (I wish,) and were finished pretty much as they were started (ah again like a younger me.)

The bill including service was about £140, so £70 each. It was good value, and I’ll be going again. The only slight demerit was the service. This was friendly, efficient but you felt that they wanted you to eat up and move on ASAP. That aside I want to return, so what are you up to tomorrow.

112 St John’s Hill, London SW11 1SJ