La Casa Mia Is A Welcome Addition To Putney
Tasty food, welcoming staff and not too hard on the wallet
The latest restaurant in Putney is La Casa Mia which has filled the gap left on the Upper Richmond Road left by The Popeseye.
According to the website the Italian restaurant offers 'time-tested recipes using only the finest and freshest ingredients'. A few weeks after opening we dropped in on a busy Saturday - the restaurant was buzzing and despite a large birthday party the staff managed to be welcoming with swift service and all with a smile!
The restaurant is more airy than in its last guise with 'rustic Italianesque' areas of brickwork peeking through the paintwork and light work incorporated with old wooden ladders hanging from the ceiling. Sadly the toilet facilities upstairs have not been upgraded with the restaurant.
The menu is quite extensive and the waiter felt that once they know the local customers preferences the menu may be tweaked to reflect the local demand.
The starter of the day was whitebait with tartar sauce and green leaves (£6.95) was appreciated by my guest, although they are battered rather than his preference for dusted with flour and pan fried - but that is personal preference.
The garlic bread with tomato and oregano (£4.95) was HUGE! Think pizza and you are in the correct ball park size wise and delicious! A bowl of olives with herbs and garlic (£2.95) was a tasty small starter - although frustratingly my guests thought they should 'share' mine!
Accompanied by a delicious Pinot Grigio (£23.95) recommended by the waiter when he discovered that wine we had chosen was not chilled enough. Our main courses arrived promptly and we enjoyed a very tasty bowl of Risotto di Mare - a generous serving with mussels, clams, squid, king prawns & cherry tomatoes (£13.95).
The Calzone pizza (£9.95)was well received and had olives added to the mozzarella, mushrooms, basil & ham on request - I am not sure it hit the sides as the plate was emptied rapidly!
The Cotoletta alla Milanese (£11.95) was delicious - perhaps a salad or wilted spinach should have been ordered to get one of the 'five a day' - the tomato and basil sauce with the pasta was delicious and most obviously made with fresh ingredients and not form a can or jar! If allergic to cheese be aware there is parmesan in the sauce not just grated over the dish at the table.
Tiramisu to share, with our coffee and a complimentary lemoncello was a lovely way to end the inaugural visit and the resounding response has been "can we go back again" has endorsed earlier feedback from readers on the forum on PutneySW15! Be aware their desserts are freshly made and change daily so we can't guarantee that you will get to try the tiramisu.
Sandi Bloomfield
March 8, 2019