Wimbledon area guide

As surely as the fans gather to holler and groan on Murray Mount, Wimbledon is about to headline the sports news for another fortnight. This leafy suburb gets an annual fillip of well-heeled visitors in the wake of The Championships. Yet Wimbledon Village, which is where the taxis ferry the smart set, struggles to cope with the summer influx. The High Street barely has enough cafés and pubs for the extra custom, let alone fine-dining venues catering for big spenders. The White Onion is SW19’s newest destination restaurant. With an excellent match record at the French Table in Surbiton, Eric and Sarah Guignard have opened this branch with a steady hand. From the courteous service to the recitation of the day’s vegetarian dishes, you can tell The White Onion’s no arriviste. You’re dealing with pros, ready for a culinary Grand Slam. The cooking here can be elaborate and showy, in a way you can find in affluent French towns. A starter of French white asparagus is served with a butter sauce flavoured with orange and cardamom. As if those flavours aren’t frou-frou enough, there’s also a mimosa-style garnish; that is, egg yolk and white separated and finely chopped, for visual impact. The simpler dishes were the most satisfying. Herdwick lamb was full-flavoured, yet the meat tender and red; it takes both great produce and skill in the kitchen to produce such a flawless dish. A French accent was added to the British meat with little dabs of garlic emulsion, smoked aubergine purée

Just a few doors up from Wagamama, on Wimbledon’s busy shopping strip, sits another Asian chain eaterie. But this one’s a little different. Sticks n Sushi has been imported from Denmark, where there are ten branches; many design elements in the cavernous space allude to its Scandinavian origins – such as the comfy wooden chairs. The sticks, or skewers, are safe and western-friendly: no gizzards, cartilage or other more uncomfortable cuts. They’re nice enough, though chicken tsukune had more in common with a Swedish meatball than anything you’d find on a skewer in Japan. The sushi rolls come with gimmicky names and colourful coatings – such as ‘Black Alaska’ inside-out rolls sprinkled with black tobiko (flying fish roe) and filled with salmon, cream cheese and avocado; or ‘Dreamy California’ stuffed with miso aïoli and crabsticks, then rolled with chilli flakes and poppy seeds. Vegetarians won’t feel left out as there are plenty of veggie sushi choices and sides; sweet tomato slices with onion, soy and vinegar dressing is a tasty snack. With friendly staff, a youthful vibe and no shortage of seating, this is a fun venue in which to enjoy well-priced platters and cocktails on a lively evening out with friends.  

Wimbledon dog track; light industrial units; a building supplies warehouse. The attractions of Summerstown – a no-man’s land between Tooting and Earlsfield – won’t place it on many cultural excursions to London. But at Figli del Vesuvio ('sons of Vesuvius'), some enterprising Neapolitan lads are recreating a slice of their home city. Of course there's no vista of Mount Vesuvius or the Bay of Naples; instead, a few tables are optimistically placed outside, facing the mini-roundabout. Yet despite the unpromising location the place was filled with lively Italian hubbub, and we were the only non-Italian customers.    A wood-fired oven belts out a Mediterranean heat, warming the small indoor dining area. Sit by the oven and you can admire the craft of the pizzaiolo as he spins the dough with his muscular and heavily tattooed arms. The traditional Italian toppings are assembled to order, and might include friarelli (‘turnip top’ winter greens), juicy sausage, or tender artichoke hearts. After just a few minutes the pizza is taken from the oven to reveal a perfect crust that’s just slightly blackened, while the base stays elastic. Served piping hot seconds later, you won’t find better in south-west London. Saltimbocca’s also on the menu, if you’d prefer thinly-sliced rolls of veal; or there are pasta options. But everyone on our visit was ordering pizza. Arriving hungry? Order the a’frittura, a mixed plate of deep-fried pizza dough balls with fillings such as mozzarella or flavoured