Escale-ing the food heights

There seems to be no reason why Richmond's Escale should be totally deserted of a weekday lunchtime: it's an attractive place, all blond wood, designer-ish furniture (we'll forgive the irritatingly naive paintings of fruit) and vast expanses of window.

The menu, too, is encouraging: nominally Turkish but embracing pastas and salads. Perhaps the loneliness is down to the blast of frost delivered by our very pretty waitress, whose disdainful expression only unbent once during our meal - and that was merely to form a moue of contempt when I asked for my mixed grilled meats to exclude liver and kidney.

So I'm a wuss, so shoot me. But it's worth braving her if only to escape the pubs and pastry shops of this self-satisfied burgh, and the food's rather good.

Mixed meze were spankingly fresh, glittering with oils and vibrant with the fresh, astringent buzz of coriander, flat-leaf parsley and mint. An alarmingly fuchsia tarama tasted much better than its bath-foam colour suggested; pur»ed, smoky aubergine attracted even the aubergine loather amongst us; sludgey pepper stew delivered a surprisingly sharp collection of flavours; little salads were crunchy with toasted hazelnuts and bulghur wheat.

Borek were crumbly little parcels of cheesy, spinachy flavour but the falafel, although dense and subtly spiced, tasted reheated. Various versions of the kebab perfumed by the chargrill were the best choices for main courses - the lamb was stunning but the chicken lacked succulence. Still, good bread, great olives, stonking house red, and, at about £25 a head, pretty good value.

Escale
94 Kew Road, TW9 2PQ