Yesterday I had lunch with my publisher, Anne Dolamore, and my producer, Juliet Baird. We went to Soif, on Battersea Rise in South London.

We ordered three starters to share. Lardo was as you’d expect; many little slithers of salted back fat, laid out on a marble board. They were less salty than you’d normally find, and completely without any of those herbs on the surface that easily overpower the delicate cured-fat. Rillette was a starter sized for two people. It was expertly made but at the restaurant end of the swing-o-meter. I prefer my rillettes a little more homely, slightly rough round the edges, a bit more rustic. Anne’s a regular and had previously eaten the pork terrine. She recommended it. Apparently it used to be presented in its entirety for you to help yourself to as much as you wanted. There was the briefest moment of disappointment when it arrived as a perfectly generous single portion. They’d correctly guessed our appetites.

I had a pork chop for my main course – when was the last time you saw one on a restaurant menu? It was served with one of those thin oily green herb sauces spotted over the top, the chicest pork chop I’ve ever seen. It was cooked only just on the pink side of normal – that takes some skill to get right. Anne ate the black pudding and squid – back on the menu by popular demand. A big thick slice of soft boudin style sausage with grilled rectangles of squid and a few tentacles sitting on top. It was well sourced and perfectly cooked. But like its upmarket cousin –  black pudding and scallops –  I’m never certain that this combination achieves more than the sum of its parts.  Juliet had a “perfectly good” braised beef and red cabbage.

I alone had a pud, which I happily shared with the others – a beautifully made slice of caramel mouse, that cleverly avoided being too sweet. Anne had a little piece of cheese, Juliet an espresso. 

With one glass of red it was eighty quid. Anne and I lingered awhile, ordering a couple more coffees, which generously came on the house.

Soif, 27 Battersea Rise, London SW11  0207 223 1112