EAT & DRINK
Osteria Antica Bologna
There is now a wealth of places to get a good bite in Battersea. However, one of our favourites is also one of the most long-serving. Osteria Antica Bologna is that rare but delightful thing: a classic old-school Italian. Expect the likes of pumpkin, butter and sage ravioli, grilled octopus and cannolo alla Siciliana. Book it.
Donna Margherita
If you like Osteria Antica Bologna, you’ll also most likely be in the market for a cosy supper at Donna Margherita on Lavender Hill. Serving up proper Neapolitan pizza, among other treats, it’s been an unassuming favourite among discerning locals for 15 years. Book it.
Augustine Kitchen
For something altogether more refined, Augustine Kitchen on Battersea Bridge Road is a must-visit. A celebration of the cuisine of Evian in the French Alps, exceptional dishes of cassolette of langoustine and lobster, tarragon and cognac bisque are served up alongside some really fantastic wines. The flavours are big; the prices are not. Go immediately. Book it.
Sinabro Restaurant
This 28-cover addition to Battersea Rise has been a roaring success since opening in 2014. Diminutive and perfect, many of the seats are at the bar, from where diners can get a good view of the theatre of the kitchen. Run by husband-and-wife team Yoann and Sujin, expect contemporary French food with the odd South Korean twist. We’d be back every night for the red wine poached pear with gingerbread and cinnamon ice cream if we could. Book it.
Story Coffee & General Goods
There is a profusion of places to have a good brunch in Battersea. Amongst the very best of them is Story Coffee & General Goods. It is exactly the stylish kind of place we like to begin the day – helped by the fact that laptops are only allowed at the bar, so it’s easier to bag a table. Plus they take their coffee seriously – really seriously. They say, ‘We cater to all tastes, from sweet, full bodied espresso with structured acidity for milk-based drinks to aromatic, complex and flavourful single origin espresso and filter coffees. All of which are prepared on the finest equipment such as our beautiful custom Kees van der Westen Spirit espresso machine. Each and every coffee is weighed precisely and follows a strict recipe to ensure consistency and quality. All our Estate Dairy milk is steamed to a precise temperature and textured to a set volume using the Uebermilk dispenser, meaning no variation in dilution, mouthfeel or taste.’ Impressively obsessive, non? Find more info here.
Cinnamon Kitchen Battersea
There are many excellent places to eat in Battersea Power Station. Our favourite is Cinnamon Kitchen, sister to the clubby Westminster stalwart, The Cinnamon Club and purveyor of exquisite modern Indian food. Book it.
VISIT
Battersea Park
A boating lake, a river view, cafes serving tea and coffee, ponds and even a children’s zoo, Battersea Park is one of the largest green spaces in the capital and we love it for a winter walks, summer picnics and visits to the Peace Pagoda. Find more info here.
Battersea Power Station
For decades, Battersea Power Station sat derelict, a beautiful industrial relic of a time when it supplied a fifth of all London’s electricity. Its iconic four chimneys have been the subject of artworks, featured on album covers (famously Pink Floyd’s) – and been intensely argued over. Finally, in 2022 – after years of wrangling and mooted schemes including a theme park – it got the renaissance it deserves in the form of a redevelopment at the hands of a healthy mix of architects (the local Fosters + Partners among them, as well as WilkinsonEyre and Gehry Partners).
There is a shopping mall (no soulless and airless shopping centre to see here), there are restaurants, there is a cinema and there are hotels. All within the industrial icon. Do also go and marvel at the restored Art Deco control room, between shopping, drinking and eating. Find more info here.
Lift 109
if you visit Battersea Power Station, you really must travel up one of the famous chimneys in a glass elevator; it is simply non-negotiable. The journey begins the Art Deco turbine hall, from where it’s up, up and away, all 109 metres to the top and one of the best views of the city. This feels like an instant must-do London classic. Find more info here.
Battersea Dogs & Cats Home
Ok, you can’t actually visit the famous Battersea Dogs & Cats – and for good reason. But if you are in the market to adopt a pet, it is a brilliant place to explore; after all, it has been rescuing pets for 150 years, since one Mary Tealby founded Battersea in 1860, then known as the Temporary Home for Lost and Starving Dogs. Explore more here.
Shop
Battersea Flower Station
Battersea Power Station may be teeming with fancy shops. But it is to Battersea Flower Station that we always go when we’re in need of some soul-cheering retail therapy. It is purely magical, whether you’re a natural horticulturist or not. Shop here.
Hamish Johnston
Who doesn’t adore a lavish selection of really good cheese? The family-run Hamish Johnston has a Suffolk-based wholesale arm and, luckily for the denizens of Battersea, a far too-tempting shop on Northcote Road. Shop here.
Northcote Road Antiques Market
If you’re looking for something pre-loved, unusual or one-of-a-kind, then do place the Aladdin’s cave that is Northcote Road Antiques Market firmly on the top of your must-visit list. Established in 1986, there are 30 dealers under one roof, selling everything from Georgian chests to retro enamelware. Shop here.
By Nancy Alsop
December 2022
