Chez Bruce

Chez Bruce was packed on a Thursday night, the small room beside Wandsworth Common carrying the happy pressure of a restaurant people have chosen with confidence. The décor is intimate and pleasingly unflashy: this is a place you visit for the culinary experience, not for a London scene to be seen in. The all-Italian team brings warmth, attentiveness and a generous vein of humour, making the room feel lived-in rather than formal. A rhubarb Bellini and hot Parmesan bites are exactly the right opening note.

The menu is thought-provoking without becoming difficult. Walnut bread is followed by a scallop sashimi amuse-bouche from head chef Matt Christmas, then ricotta with blood orange, grilled fennel, finocchiona, basil and marjoram — très bon. Broccoli tagliatelle with sausage, lamb kidneys, a mushroom and avocado salad and crispy battered mussels give the table plenty to argue over. Côte de boeuf is excellent, with amazing chips; Anjou pigeon has lovely texture; cassoulet of duck and a tender, rich pig cheek bring the meal back to French comfort.

The cheeseboard is a point of distinction, served by people who know exactly what they are talking about. A hot chocolate parfait is stunning, while the passion-fruit sorbet is explosive, a genuine taste sensation. Hard butter is the one small flaw, and the whisky selection feels weak beside the rest of the list. Those are minor complaints against a meal of appreciable complexity and real pleasure. Chez Bruce's Michelin star is less a badge than a consequence of doing the important things brilliantly: welcome, appetite, service and cooking that keeps giving you something to think about.