Chinoise Restaurant

Chinoise restaurant in Barnes, one of London's swisher suburbs, is just what a good neighbourhood restaurant should be in this sophisticated neighbourhood. Owned by the same brilliant lady who created the popular Sonny's in Barnes, the Phoenix in Putney and 11 Abingdon Road in Kensington, Chinoise is friendly and smart and humming with life. The split-level dining room has stone floors, oriental-themed walls and quite an accomplished chef. The Northeastern Chinese province of Manchuria is the speciality of the house, but because this is a friendly neighbourhood restaurant, there are plenty of crowd-pleasing traditional dishes too. Try starter of mustard leaf, tofu and sliced pork soup, main course of stewed lamb with bamboo skins and side of Chinese broccoli with bok choy and oyster sauce. The wine list exhibits care in pairing the intense flavours with exotic spicing - a success.