Rebecca Mascarenhas
We often hero worship chefs, but it takes far more than good food alone to make a restaurant a success.
Restaurateur Rebecca Mascarenhas, who lives in Barnes with husband James, is considered the queen of neighbourhood restaurants in London. She owns Home SW15 in Putney – which recently won the Good Food Guide’s prestigious ‘Best Local Restaurant’ award - and along with chef Phil Howard she co-owns Elystan Street in Chelsea and Kitchen W8 in Kensington, both of which boast a Michelin star.
Rebecca and Phil’s latest venture is Church Road in Barnes in SW London, for which I predict there may well be yet another star on the horizon. Surprisingly, Rebecca trained as an actress, but lucky for the London restaurant scene that plan was short lived.
“I was utterly useless, so I got a job waitressing” she laughs.
Rebecca quickly moved up the ranks, and in 1986 she opened her very own restaurant; Sonny’s in Barnes.
“I was the principal. Not the chef’s wife, not part of a team - I started it on my own. It was a rare thing for a woman to do back then” she explains.
After an impressive 33 years, Sonny’s closed earlier this year and now in its place stands new, modern British restaurant, Church Road.
“It was time for a change. The mid-market is very crowded now, and we don’t want to be there. We are unique in the sense that we have an incredibly high skillset, and we need to showcase that.”
Inside is an elegant dining area and cocktail bar (think 1950’s glamour meets urban sophistication) and a private dining room that acts as a communal table at lunchtime. The restaurant is taking numerous steps to be as sustainable and eco-conscious as possible (Rebecca was one of the very first to ditch plastic straws in her restaurants, “as a matter of course, not a PR stunt”), whilst the food itself is simple and flavoursome, with a focus on exceptional seasonal British produce and an emphasis on vegetables.
“It’s how we eat now, and it’s about our impact on the planet. We don’t shout about dishes being ‘vegan’ or ‘vegetarian’ – they are just absolutely bloody yum. I mean, why wouldn’t you want a salt roasted white beetroot with hazelnut and truffle pesto?!” she smiles.
Quite. The plan now is for Rebecca (and Phil) to take a step back and leave Church Road in the capable hands of its young and talented team, but if Rebecca’s palpable drive is anything to go by, I think that this could be her biggest challenge yet.
“We always say that we’ll be less involved…” she laughs.
“But really, the rewarding thing for me now is developing people. Believing in them, giving them the opportunity, and watching them grow and succeed.”
Meet the Church Road team
Phil Howard - A highly respected culinary figure, Phil’s distinctive modern French food has received great critical acclaim. In addition to Church Road, he is partner in six other restaurants in London and keen to encourage the next generation of talented young chefs.
Sam Astley-Dean - Sam worked at the likes of Simon Radley at The Chester Grosvenor, Fera at Claridge’s and Chez Bruce, before joining the Michelin-starred kitchen of Elystan Street. He is now head chef at Church Road. His sweet tooth is his big weakness apparently, so expect great puds.
Alan Parry - Ex-assistant general manager at Elystan Street Alan moved up to general manager at Sonny’s in Barnes in 2018 and is now general manager at Church Road. “One of Alan’s great skills is his ability to make everyone feel at home” says Rebecca.
Church Road is open now at 94 Church Road, SW13 0DQ churchroadsw13.co.uk
Phil Howard
Sam Astley-Dean
Alan Parry
Published in the November 2019 issues of The Chiswick Magazine, The Barnes Magazine, The Richmond Magazine and The Wandsworth Magazine, and online at Essential Surrey and SW London
