Counter dining on the ground floor at Caia

What kind of place is Caia?

A good question, seeing as it's billed as a combo wine bar, restaurant and music venue. Happily, it's not a jack of all trades, master of none kind of situation - more a description of the various spaces they have under one roof.

There's a wine room at the back, a downstairs dining room (complete with record player and stacks of vinyl) and the main restaurant upstairs. The duo behind it - Rishabh Vir and Tim Lang - were also involved in Fiend, so that was always going to be a good sign.

The downstairs dining room  complete with vinyl section

You'll find it at the top of Golborne Road. We had a hit of deja vu on entering and realised we'd been here years ago in a previous incarnation - John Doe. The nearest tube is Westbourne Park.

Where's a good place to meet for a drink first?

How about a glass of wine at the nearby Golborne Deli & Wine Store - or perhaps a cocktail on the terrace at Cha Cha? Or you could head straight here as the cocktails are very good indeed.

Left to right: Italian Greyhound (£11) with Element 29 vodka, Campari bitters, grapefruit and lemon juice and a Vida (£12) - a really interesting mix of Mezcal, port and lemon and black teas.

In charge of the kitchen here is Head Chef Jessica Donovan who was previously at The Pem. She's got quite the piece of open fire kit to cook on and this is where all the magic happens. If you're a fan of watching chefs at work make sure to get a seat at the bar for the best view. All the food is wine-friendly fare and the menu is loosely split into snacks, a mixture of small and larger plates and dessert.

Here's what we had to give you an idea;

Crispy chicken skin, preserved lemon, nori (£4) - the attention to detail in even the tiniest of snacks was a good sign of things to come.

Black pepper and garlic focaccia (£5) - All chargrilled over the fire, this was the best garlic bread we've had in an AGE. 

Grilled sugar snap peas, gremolata, brown crab butter (£12) - the sweet peas and that umami crab foam were a perfect flavour combo.

Monkfish and sweetcorn (£16) - an immediately striking colour, this dish tasted fantastic - the perfect late summer dish.

Smoked potato with borlotti beans, roast garlic miso and Parmesan (£13) - a must-order for anyone who's been binge-watching potato recipes on TikTok.

What's on the menu for vegetarians and vegans?

Plenty, including a popular crudites platter, served with whipped feta and black olive harissa along with this next-level mushroom dish.

King oyster mushroom schnitzels with plum and chilli ketchup (£10) - the 'meaty' mushrooms really lent themselves to the schnitzel treatment and we'd have loved a pot of that smoky ketchup to take home with us.

There were two desserts and a cheese option when we visited. The peach and lemon granita sounded lovely but it couldn't beat this:

Chocolate eclair with créme de cassis cherries and a tonka bean chantilly (£9) - a messy but delicious eat.

They don't make a song and dance about sustainability, but it's more in the practice than the preaching. There were monkfish spines hanging over the fire which were then going to be turned into a smoky sauce to go with another dish. Nothing goes to waste.

As it's a wine bar, presumably the wine list is pretty good?

It is - and for this part of town, it's not as punchy as we'd expected. Prices start with a Sicilian white for £30 and a red Bordeaux for £32 in a list that roams the world from Battersea to the Western Cape. A £46 Assyrtiko from sustainable winery Kir Yianni was memorably good.

We're not sure what West Londoners have done exactly to deserve this gem of a place - but clearly they were very good in a previous life. Caia is an absolute delight from its friendly staff and subtly luxe decor to a menu that genuinely thrills with every dish. Worth crossing town for.

Where is it? 46 Golborne Rd, London W10 5PR

How to book? Book online.

Find out more: On their website or follow them on Instagram @caia.london.

Hot Dinners dined as guests of Caia. Prices correct at time of publication.

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