There are fantastic shops, galleries and restaurants on the King’s Road, but by the time you get to the Parsons Green section of New King’s Road, there is generally not a lot going on. However, one place well worth visiting is the family run restaurant, Primavera. On a Sunday night, when almost all their neighbouring restaurants were empty, Primavera was filled with hungry guests. The locals love it and even foreigners flock to this little gem; as I can testify on the night of my visit, there was a very American sounding director discussing his film with his actors.
The decor is extremely homely, there are paintings of famous London landmarks like Tower Hill and an abundant use of fairy lights always solves any interior design issues. There are not many tables at Primavera, which is even more surprising when you consider the complexity of their menu.
The starters vary from the classic tomato bruschetta to the more unusual lamb liver terracotta and even specials like oysters. Whilst the mains include an extensive selection of pizzas, risottos, pastas, salads to main courses like sword fish steak. You would struggle to find high street Italian restaurants that offer a more varied selection of dishes than what is offered by Primavera.
I had forgotten lesson one of any restaurant visit: always ask for the waiter’s recommendations. I had opted for baked mussels myself and found the dish proficient but lacking in flavour. Did they just use breadcrumbs and Parmesan and forgot to marinate it with items like parsley, garlic and chili peppers? Thankfully, the baked Portebello mushroom dish recommended by the staff was simply stunning. The goats cheese had melted perfectly into the Portebello mushroom and combined with rocket and a drizzle of pesto, it had everything you would want in a dish: tantalising texture and taste.
The main courses were equally irresistible. I opted for a more unusual dish: Scallop Aglio e Olio Linguini. Not many restaurants in London or even Italy offer a scallop and crayfish linguine. It’s a tricky dish to master, given the different cooking times for the different shellfish items. The scallops were only heated up very lightly hence it retained its full freshness and the flavours from the shellfish soaked invitingly into the linguine. Just the simple taste of this dish is worth travelling across London for.
If there is space left in your stomach, they have all the classic Italian desserts for your consideration: crème brule, panna cotta and tiramisu. Whilst their extensive selection of wines also have an Italian edge. Their house wines from Ponte Miliano start at a very reasonable £18.80.
Next time you go shopping on the King’s Road, remember to keep travelling further down until you reach this little gem. It’s one of the best Italian restaurants you will find in the area.