La Pernella leads a double life

This review was published in June 2002

After a long day hammering out double-sausage-egg-beans-and-fried-slice, the staff at Alberto's Caf? in Earlsfield wander outside and flip the red and white sign over the window. It converts into a blue and white board reading 'La Pernella'. Smart awnings are lowered and the transformation is complete.

'Tonight Alberto's Caf? is going to be... La Pernella, a cheap and friendly Neapolitan restaurant.' Portions are huge, the cooking honest, prices are rock bottom and service is friendly. As soon as you are seated, a plate of bruschetta arrives - good, crispy toast with a topping of pesto - see it off and the bread basket takes over. Chewy crust, dense, snowy doughy insides and a saucer of olive oil and balsamic vinegar to dab it in.

Starters tend to come from the array of antipasti that are laid out to tempt you as you walk in the door - there's a good dish of aubergines with cherry tomatoes and mushrooms, another of porcini. Then there are large meatballs in tomato sauce. Or calamari. Or prawns with oil and garlic. Ask for the 'buffet misto', which brings a selection of antipasti, but then you'll need more of the bread, and then you may end up too full for your main course. It's a tough choice.

Pizzas, from margherita to quattro stagioni, are traditional (fresh tomatoes, plenty of cheese, good base), and come fresh from a wood-burning oven. Then there are daily specials like linguini with lobster - which comes in a rich tomatoey sauce, cooked al dente with half a small lobster perched defiantly on top. A grand dish.

But then so is the swordfish steak with clams, and the grilled mixed seafood. You can explore the wine list without venturing much past £15 a bottle and there are good trad puds. It makes you wonder whether the bacon and eggs at Alberto's is half as good...

La Pernella
Garratt Lane, London, SW18 4HJ