London: Copper Leaf Restaurant Review

I reviewed Copper Leaf Restaurant in Hampton Wick recently.

I had been told by quite a few of my friends that Copper Leaf restaurant was a great place to dine, the food delicious and the ambiance unique.  When I was asked to review and to try for myself it initially took ages due to a busy schedule however recently my friends Manjiri and Nayna and I were able to visit this small restaurant.

Boy oh boy were they right! The food was delicious, the staff friendly and knowledgeable and the cocktails really fun.

We started with a drink and I decided to have the Gin of The Week cocktail.  This week it was Gabriel Boudier Saffron Gin, served with Fever-Tree Light Tonic, orange zest, chocolate bitters and hand carved ice.  I had not had saffron gin before so I was really interested to try it.  The colour was a light yellow from the saffron and the cocktail was garnished with saffron strands.

The bitters are home made by Mixologist Hanna who takes such pride in her bar as well as hand carving her ice cubes.  The ice cubes were huge and indeed I called them the ‘Ice Cube of Gibraltar’ due to the size!!

Also quite unique is the Gin Tasting Menu –  a great way to explore the botanical world of gin.  Each platter contains 8 mini gin & tonics paired with the perfect garnish to share or not – that’s up to you.

The menu consists of an inviting Tapas menu and on the other side a full a-la-carte menu. We decided to have the Tapas and to let the chef send out what he thought we would like, however you normally pick as many items as you like from categories such as Nibbles, Meat, Seafood, Vegetarian, Vegan and Paella.

We had:-

Lyme Bay Salted Cod Fritters, Wilted Spinach, Lemon and Saffron Aioli; Gin Cured Salmon, Beetroot, cucumber, Pea Shoot, Wasabi Aioli, Salt and Vinegar Gel; Atlantic Prawn, Chilli and Garlic Oil; Chana Masala, Fragrant Basmati Rice, Coriander.

Tempura Asparagus, Poached Egg, Lime Aioli, Dressed Leaves; Pan Fried Green Beans, Sun Dried Tomato, Roasted Garlic, Pinenuts, Patatas Bravas, Spiced Tomato Sauce, Manchego Cheese Croquettes, Caramalised Onion, Pickled Walnuts.

Spiced Hampshire Lamb, Mint Yogurt, Coriander, Curry Emulsion; Albondigas – Beef Meatballs, tomato and Basil Sauce; Sautéed Spinach Chorizo, Red Wine Jus; Serrano Ham Croquettes, Smoked Paprika Aioli.

For dessert we had Grilled Pineapple, Rum Infused Cherries, Fresh Mint, Coconut Sorbet; Peanut Butter Cheesecake, Candied Peanuts, Miso Caramel Ice Cream and Lavender and White Chocolate Pannacotta, Macerated Strawberries, Ginger Crumble.

The food was all delicious and of course the gin bar was a big draw for me.  They also have seating downstairs for if you have a special occasion coming up and want to eat there with the family and friends they can easily accommodate you. I am really looking forward to visiting Copper Leaf Restaurant and Gin Bar in Hampton Wick again soon. If you are in the area Kingston-upon-Thames is just over the bridge – see Manjiri’s review of Chakra Riverside Kingston.

I was a guest of Copper Leaf restaurant.  I was not paid nor required to write a positive review.  All opinions and photographs are my own.  No photographs may be reproduced in any manner without my written permission.