The excellent Rocket

The Rocket was once a scuzzy bikers' pub where pool tables were the only kind of tables that mattered. There was a sigh of relief among the better-heeled locals when it was bought up and closed down. They rubbed their hands in anticipation at the thought of their very own neighbourhood gastropub.

Fast forward a couple of years to April 2003 when, after what seemed like a very long wait, the pub was officially reborn and, if a packed and buzzy Tuesday night is anything to go by, became the centre of attention on Churchfield Road.

There is a large and comfortable bar at the front, and a spacious terrace for drinking outside. The refurb has left this Victorian boozer looking pretty good, with light coloured wood floors and deep red walls. The dining room is to the rear and a crystal chandelier now hangs over the space once occupied by the dreaded pool tables.

The food, available throughout, is full-on and very good. The chefs come from Italy and the menu follows the convention of listing starters, then pasta and risotti, finally mains and puds. From the starters the peppered fillet of beef carpaccio, quail's eggs, new potato and cabbage salad with horseradish is terrifically good.

The meat limp and red with a seared edge, the cabbage salad chunky with plenty of oomph. Good as this is, it is almost eclipsed by 'frico' - this is a fry-up of new potatoes, cheese and mushrooms served under a pile of rocket. Crispy, melty, rich, self-indulgent, a gloriously simple plateful. There's a good-tempered risotto made with porcini and truffle oil, scattered through with small chunks of potato to soak up the flavours. There's tagliolini with crab and bottarga - lots of cherry tomatoes and not much bottarga but very good nevertheless.

The mains range widely - grilled tuna Nicoise, roast chicken breast served with a pumpkin risotto, grilled lamb cutlets with baked aubergine and balsamic vinegar (three decent cutlets and thick ribbons of aubergine). The wine list has some decent bottles at sensible prices - look for the vibrant Madiran at £22.50. The dessert menu rounds up the usual suspects from Amaretto tiramisu to ice creams and sorbets. It may have been boarded up for a while, but now the Rocket has taken off and deservedly so. Best to book.

The Rocket
Nov-13 Churchfield Road, W3 6BD