La Trompette has been operating since 2001, tucked away just off the busy Chiswick High Road. In charge of the kitchen is Greg Wellman, who was head chef of Glasshouse until it closed in late 2022. Three courses were priced at £65 a la carte, or £39.50 for a restricted choice three course set lunch. There was also an optional cheese board, with a quite fair price tag of £18.50 with no pesky limitations that some places apply (no "three cheeses only” etc rules here).
The huge wine list had 932 labels and ranged in price from £30 to £3,750, with a median price of £105 and an average markup to retail price of 2.6 times, which is very kind by London standards. Sample references were Feteasca Regala Nomad by Aurelia Visinescu 2021 at £38 for a bottle that you can find in the high street for £14, Argyros ‘Atlantis’ Assyrtiko 2021 at £62 compared to its retail price of £22, and Balnaves of Coonawarra The Tally Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 at £85 for a wine that will set you back £54 in the high street. For those with the means there was Ornellaia Tenuta della Ornellaia Bolgheri 2011 at £300 compared to its retail price of £218, and E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie ‘La Mouline’ 2005 at £760 for a wine whose current market value is £518. Corkage was £40 per bottle (up to four bottles per table), which is not unreasonable, and much lower than some central London venues. There is also no “but it is twice that for champagne” nonsense that I have seen elsewhere.
Bread was made in-house, a sourdough with a very good crust and nice texture. I started with the lobster and scallop tortelloni (a stuffed pasta originating in northern Italy) with basil and a creamed shellfish bisque. This was very enjoyable, the pasta having good texture, the shellfish filling generous and the sauce suitably rich (15/20).
My main course was chicken from Normandy, served with French petit pois, fondant potato, girolles, pancetta and the cooking juices. This was also spot on, the chicken carefully cooked and having good flavour, the fondant potato lovely with its stock, and the peas in particular having excellent sweetness (15/20).
The cheese board was in very good condition, supplied by La Fromagerie and presented by a knowledgeable French waitress. My dessert was strawberry and vanilla tartlet with toasted pistachios and Greek yoghurt ice cream. This featured lovely pastry and strawberries that had good flavour, nicely complemented by the pistachios (15/20).
Service was excellent. The bill came to £153 each for four courses and plenty of wine. If you ordered from a la carte menu and shared a modest bottle of wine then a typical cost per person might be around £105, though you could reduce this by choosing from the set lunch menu. La Trompette is an extremely reliable restaurant serving the kind of food that most people actually want to eat. Combine this with friendly service and a great wine list and you have a very complete package, which explains why it is always busy even at lunch.
BookFurther reviews: 13th Oct 2024 | 25th Feb 2023 | 20th Sep 2022 | 03rd Jul 2021 | 24th Nov 2019 | 15th Oct 2018 | 08th Sep 2017 | 05th Jan 2017 | 11th Jul 2013 | 13th Dec 2012
David Woodhead
We like La Trompette, but for us it is quite a trek to get there. A further disincentive now is the price, which at £89,50 for three courses at first glance looked completely out of kilter with what we have paid in the past. And indeed it is - according to your previous review, in July this year, the equivalent price was £65. Quite a hike in a short space of time!