Savoy Truffle Supperclub, Blackheath [updated]
Blackheath's best restaurant is a small living room in a flat in Pond Road, the Cater Estate - otherwise known as the Savoy Truffle Supperclub.
The pop-up restaurant launched in early 2009 and opens 2-3 times most weeks, seating 16 people at three tables. Having garnered positive reviews early in its life, it's regularly booked out and getting a reservation is like getting a 9 o'clock at Dorsia. The house is registered with the Council as a food business with an environmental health certificate.
We went last night and had a fantastic night, joining two other couples at one of the tables near the kitchen.
The menu consisted of a Bloody Mary soup, followed by risotto, Dolly Parton beef (cooked from 9-5) with horseradish mash, sticky toffee pudding and coffee and brownies to finish. Every course was utterly delicious. At a fixed price of £37-a-head, it's not particularly cheap, but as they're unlicensed, the bring-your-own-bottle policy (a tasty red from Degustation) helps to keep the price down.
The people we met over dinner were great company and the shared experience makes conversation easy. The chef, who was a journalist until about 18 months ago and trained at the Acorn House in Kings Cross, came and sat with us after the meal. He and his partner hope to open a restaurant and - based on last-night's experience - we wish them well. If nothing else, Blackheath could do with a great restaurant. For an area of its wealth and profile, it punches way below its weight in terms of dinner options. Until then, the Supperclub is a great alternative, if you can get in.
Starting this blog was like boarding Oceanic flight 815 - we are now unable to escape SE4. So inevitably, we discovered that one of the couples on our table lived round the corner from us in Brockley.
Sharing a taxi home, we took the opportunity to plug the site (BC: never knowingly undersold) to our new friends.
"Oh right, the blogspot thing?" said the woman. "You certainly get your fair share of weirdos on there, don't you."
Yes we do. And we love each and every one of you.