The lady to lunch with

Liliana Tamberi, who learned her craft at the family restaurant in Tuscany

The invitation to the launch party at Matilda, which opened about three weeks ago, has a photograph of a cheerful old biddy in a cardi standing under a line of drying clothes and holding a kettle.

The face that actually reveals itself at this self-styled Pub-Diner and Party Rooms - set up by Charlie McVeigh of Bush Bar and Grill, Woody's nightclub et al - is the young, beauteous Liliana Tamberi, who previously worked at Giorgio Locatelli's Refettorio, near Blackfriars Bridge.

Liliana was the girl in charge of the stunning display of cured meats and Italian regional cheeses. At Matilda, where Liliana has swiftly risen to the position of head chef due to the abrupt departure of the previous incumbent, imported salume, hams, cheeses and dips are served on Matilda Boards, either as a bar snack or a shared starter when dining.


Had our order not been hopelessly muddled by co-owner Luca Meddi, who appeared to be in a trance of tiredness, we would not have tried a selection. As it was, a board was brought to while away the time waiting for a pumpkin-and-Gorgonzola risotto, ordered as a first course but mistakenly thought to be wanted at the same time as the main course.

Peppery, fatty salami and shards of pecorino cheese were accompanied by slices of focaccia, vegetable pickles seemingly made from chard and a little pot of Italian honey with which to sweettalk the salty cheese.

It was highly satisfactory, so much so that my companion, who had asked for them, said he didn't really mind missing the first course of mussels with garlic, chilli and white wine, an order that somehow had never made it as far as the kitchen.

The risotto was perfect, prepared with the correct rice with a kernel of resistance and diluted with stock to exactly the right soupiness. The balance of douce vegetable and sharp cheese was also judicious. The main course of costolette di maiale (pork chops), which was brought with the risotto, was taken away to be started again.

Tamberi, who grew up in her family's restaurant in Grosetto, Tuscany, chargrills a mean bistecca Fiorentina. The large cut of beef, satisfactorily branded, was juicy, flavourful and as rare as requested.

A side dish of vegetable fritto misto, which had been asked for instead of the advertised skinny chips, arrived wrapped in a cone of brown paper, the tempura-style vegetables so skilfully fried that there was scarcely a trace of oil on the paper.

The second version of the pork chop was also perfectly timed and the dressing on the salad and its garnish of fresh orange slices was notable, the sort of salad dressing that my mother, an instinctively fine cook, used to make. I would like to have tried the home-made sausages served with cannelloni beans. If you're getting two main courses, why not three?

The dedication to buying from small producers results in a dessert selection of Italian ice creams from Oddono's in Bute Street, South Kensington. We tried small bowls of hazelnut with a caramel thread, pistachio, mango, cassis and lemon. You could argue that buying well is on a par with cooking well. These delectable ices make the case.

Pane d'uva, a deliciously simple cakebread, traditionally made at the time of the harvest with black grapes, flour, olive oil and sugar, is made in-house and served with a fruit compote. It is definitely worth trying and also recreating at home with your own grape harvest from the supermarket.

Such a muddle of a meal and yet such a high mark? Well, I think Liliana Tamberi is a gifted cook. Whether she can cope with the crowds that can be accommodated in the two large, idiosyncratically decorated rooms - with large party rooms above - remains to be seen.

And don't blame me for the noise that could then ensue, but her shopping and cooking last week provided one of the nicest, most vivacious meals I have had in a long time.

The brief wine list composed by John Armit - another partner - rises no further than the excellent Tuscan red Morellino di Scansano, Le Pupille 2003 at £24.

Matilda
74-76 Battersea Bridge Road, SW11

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