Tom Ilic

 

This is the first solo venture for Serbian chef Tom Ilic whose cooking has graced the tables of two London restaurants, Bonds on Threadneedle Street and Addendum, attached to Apex City of London hotel. And residents of Battersea are in for a treat. Not just a culinary delight but also an economic one. For cooking of this standard, the plates of artistically-presented roast pork belly and braised pigs trotter come at very reasonable prices. The refreshingly good value is all down to Tom's sensible husbandry, he eschews starched table linen preferring to pass the savings on to the customer - and there's not many places serving this calibre of food that think like that. The picture of a pig perkily poking his head out of the 'o' of Tom's name on the menu indicates the nose-to-tail cuts the chef expertly cooks up: yet another way he keeps the costs down while his talents as a chef mean the quality of the cooking remains high. Alongside are choices of fish, seared scallops, baked fillet of John Dory and butternut squash for those who prefer meat-free dishes. Leave room for delicious desserts like pear tart tatin with cinnamon ice cream or dark chocolate fondant, all under a fiver. Tom Ilic is surely one to watch.