Scoffers

AntoniaL

Great neighbourhood restaurant 5th December 2008

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I love this little restaurant. It is just round the corner from me and I've lost count of the number of times I've eaten here.

It is hard to pinpoint exactly what it is that I love so much about this little place. It isn't necessarily the food, which is good but not spectacular. It is more a combination of the friendly service, cosy ambiance, buzzy atmosphere and the tree that sits in the middle of the restaurant.

Yes. You did hear me right. This restaurant is built around a reasonaly sizeable mature fig tree growing happily in the middle of the tables. According to my sister (who used to waitress there before it was 'Scoffers'), the tree used to be outside. When the owners wanted to expand by glassing over the outdoor space to double the size of the restaurant, they couldn't bear to tear the tree down, so they simply built the restaurant around it. Anyway, dining beneath the branches of this tree, bedecked with fairy lights is lovely and rather romantic. I always rather forget that I'm in Battersea and am transported somewhere a touch more exotic!

As for the food, the menu is very varied with lots of choice and an ever-changing specials board. Expect to find classic British dishes such as fish pie and slow-cooked lamb shanks alongside sizzling fajitas, soy-glazed salmon and Mediterranean dishes. Puddings are usually classic and comforting. The wine list is shortish but varied and reasonably priced. Better still, on Mondays you can bring your own bottles for £3 corkage (last time I checked). A bargain!

Scoffers might not be to everyone's taste. It is invariably packed, especially at weekends. The tables are mis-matched and sometimes a little wobbly. The food can be better some days than others. But I love it despite its foibles. For me it is the perfect neighbourhood restaurant - I've had romantic dates here, giggly girly suppers with friends, civilised dinners with my parents and celebratory birthday parties. It fits the bill every time!

I hear, on the grapevine, that they do a good line in breakfasts and brunches. Never sampled these myself. For me it is very much an evening place when the twinkling fairy lights that adorn the fig tree work their magic. Be sure to book a table in the back part of the restaurant, under the tree, as it often gets busy.