Brocca Antica

Italian Restaurant in Twickenham
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6 / 10 from 1 review
Address
139 St. Margarets Road
Town Centre
Twickenham
TW1 1RG
Map
Telephone
020 8891 2644
Cuisine
Italian
Nearest Station
St Margarets
0.07 miles
Opening Times
Monday Open 09:00 - Closes 23:00
Tuesday Open 09:00 - Closes 23:00
Wednesday Open 09:00 - Closes 23:00
Thursday Open 09:00 - Closes 23:00
Friday Open 09:00 - Closes 23:00
Saturday Open 09:00 - Closes 23:00
Sunday Open 09:00 - Closes 22:30

All In London Review

Clearly, the locals love the place...

Review Image
My friend picked this local restaurant for a dinner to celebrate her birthday as it looks lovely from the outside and always seems busy. I thought it was a good choice as it meant we could avoid the crowds in nearby Twickenham and Richmond town centres.

We managed to park right outside and arrived a little earlier than our reservation time which seemed to put them into a bit of a spin. They were taking our coats, asking if we wanted drinks, telling us the specials as they handed us menus and tried to guide us to space to wait. We felt hustled.

However, I was struck by the large glass panel in the wooden floor that allowed us to peer into the kitchen – we were able to see the chefs below putting together pizzas.

We were shown to what looked like a fabulous table in the window – there was one of those bench seats with comfy cushions. I admired the rustic brickwork walls in which small candle bays were lit. Very pretty – especially with the Christmas decorations.

But within minutes of settling down I was freezing from the draft from the window and my friend opposite was also cold. There were no curtains to draw and the radiator remained resolutely cold. We asked if we could be moved and they indicated that we would have to go downstairs.

There was no one else down there at this stage and they sat us at a table in front of a rather lovely fireplace – down which a chilly breeze was blowing. We cheered ourselves by admiring the large antique mirror on the wall and sipping our Prosecco (£5.85 a glass). There is an open space in the wall through which we could see the kitchen staff working. We were determined to enjoy ourselves. Chatting to the friendly and enthusiastic waitress (everyone here appears to be Italian) it seems it was her first day in the job.

The menu was encouraging. While we pondered our choices a woman and her child of about seven years old sat at the next table, indicating that they would be quick with just a pizza. It was interesting to note that the wide range of pasta dishes were offered with a gluten free alternative.

My friend chose the small Caesar salad with (three large) prawns (£7.50) to start and I opted for the carpaccio (£7.95). These were as expected – no surprises. We ordered some more Prosecco.

My swordfish (£14) portion was huge and came with rocket, avocado, cherry tomatoes and orange. It was nicely cooked even if the dressing was a little oily. I was pleased to see that I also received a giant size portion of chips.

My companion had chosen a rib eye steak (£18.50) with a peppercorn sauce which both of us felt tasted more like barbeque sauce. We asked the waitress about this and a rather large chef came out to tell us that barbeque sauce uses a tomato base and that this really was a peppercorn sauce with a brandy base. So much for the customer always being right.

We decided that we had had enough. I then discovered that the napkins had left lots of flecks of white all over my new red dress. My companion’s black trousers were similarly covered. Not impressed. I decided to visit the ladies before departing – but a large group had just arrived and there was a queue for the two cubicles so I had to hang about in a tight corridor which was just near the kitchen and therefore busy with waiting staff going to and fro..

So what we had hoped would be a lovely, relaxed, rustic Italian experience was thwarted by a series of unfortunate events. The bill – with service – for our two courses and five glasses of Prosecco came to £88.77 which I thought was a bit much bearing in mind all the hiccups. My friend commented that she felt it was more “sales than service”. We weren’t happy.

However, as we walked upstairs the place was heaving. And I admit that everyone there bathed in warm candlelight appeared to be having a marvellous time. Clearly, the locals love the place. We must have just been unfortunate.

Reviewed by KimT on Dec 16, 2013
Published on Dec 16, 2013


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