A Local Offering You Definitely Shouldn't Refuse

The Italian Job Chiswick - Burgers and beers - what's not to like

When Pickwicks closed, a swathe of Chiswick society wailed and almost took vows of sobriety at the horror at this very popular wine bar closing. Then news leaked out that its replacement would be a new fangled bar and restaurant serving Italian craft beer and sceptics predicted failure. Finally the restaurant was unveiled to showcase a very stylish interior with brick walls and a dizzingly tiled bar. Italian craft beers were duly introduced and dubiously sipped. More craft beers were ordered and enthusiastically gulped. And a new Chiswick institution was born.

On our latest visit, we pitched up on a Thursday evening and most tables were occupied and remained so all evening. The other clients were young professionals and the atmosphere was very relaxed. Unusually for Chiswick and an interior with bare bricks, the background noise wasn't too intrusive and it was possible to have a conversation without shouting. Other Chiswick hostelries take note!

We kicked off with a glass of Pianure Chardonnay delle Venezie and a pint of Violent Femme which both slipped down beautifully despite the rather alarming name. There was a choice of 12 beers on tap listed on the blackboard with the stronger beers available in half and 2/3 pints. As the Italian Job says: "We offer a choice of 12 rotating beers on draught (10 taps and 2 hand-pumps) beside a diverse bottled beer selection, as well as wine and spirits. Our beer range draws from Italy's eclectic craft beer scene, showcasing a variety of styles and provenances."

We chose starters from the Specials menu: one arancini with aubergine, mint and cheddar and the other roast Pecorino cheese with mixed beetroots. The arancini were perfectly cooked and the aubergine and mint added a more eastern Mediterranean flavour to this Italian standard. The roast Pecorino was a delectable thick chunk of molten cheese with mixed beetroot, rocket and dressing. We'd never seen cheese served like this before and have been missing out: it really was amazing.

For the main course, we both chose burgers. We've long been fans of the Italian Job burgers and frankly consider them the best burgers in Chiswick with the exception of the divine Jackson + Rye burger. The eponymous Italian Job was a beef burger in ciabatta bread served with Gorgonzola cheese, red onion, crispy Speck and rocket. You can specify how you want your beef burger cooked and the medium rare burger arrived exactly as requested. The Chicken Burger consisted of a lovely thin escalope of chicken rolled up with cheddar and herb sauce also in ciabatta. Both burgers were wonderfully juicy, the ciabatta soft and added ingredients made them wonderfully tasty. Total successes.



No monkeying around declining desserts with us - we launched straight into the wittily named birramisu which was tiramisu with a dash of beer. The proof of how good the tiramisu was sadly illustrated by us not managing to photograph it before launching in. We were also on additional drinks by this time too: a pint of Californian Sun and a glass of Pianure Cabernet Franc delle Venezie.

It's impossible to determine exactly why some restaurants make for a comfortable experience and others don't. Perhaps the Italian Job's staff's confidence and knowledge in their product and efficient but unobtrusive service coupled with really delicious food and drink were key? I can't pretend to know why some places work but I do know I really want to go back to the Italian Job and would be perfectly happy to eat the exact same meal again.

Caroline Villiers

February 12, 2016