Is this the fanciest restaurant in SW19
The hidden gem on the outskirts of Colliers Wood
Hello, Wimblers — I hope that everyone is having a lovely week.
If you’re a foodie, then you’re in for a treat. A few weeks back, I had the pleasure of dining at Black Radish in Colliers Wood. Having nearly exploded after six courses, I decided it might be worth writing about my experience. Scroll down for some insight and pictures.
Of course we have your usual news snippets, a great property of the week and some lovely and varied recommendations for the coming days.
Oh, and one last thing. We put the spotlight on some locals who are running the London Marathon this weekend. If you have the capacity, please click here and scroll down to read their stories and donate (if you can).
News snippets 🗞
🚦 Good news! Passengers on the District Line should soon see long-awaited improvements after TfL and Network Rail confirmed plans to improve the signals that control the Wimbledon branch of the line. The upgrade will focus on the most failure-prone part of the line between Wimbledon and East Putney. For far too long, the Wimbledon branch has been reliant on Victorian-era track layouts and outdated equipment. The project will not involve a full resignalling, but it will bring the infrastructure closer to modern standards. Read more here.
🗳 It’s a “battle of step counts” for the May elections in Merton. Liberal Democrat leader on the council, Anthony Fairclough, said he is doing 15,000 to 20,000 steps a day. Labour's Ross Garrod, the current council leader, says he is doing the same. Click here to read the BBC’s behind-the-scenes look at the upcoming elections.
🪧 A teacher’s strike in Merton is set to go ahead next month. School support staff at 22 primary schools in Merton have voted to strike for one day – on Friday 1 May – because of a pay dispute affecting several outer London boroughs. In a press release, the council urged GMB to cancel the strikes and instead take up mediation with local government. Check out more details here.
🎓 Eighty-six per cent of children in Merton receive offers from their first-choice primary school, according to new data from the council. More than 95 per cent of children have been offered a place in one of their top three preferred primary schools, and 86 per cent received their first-choice place. Parents, of course, will need to take up offers for their children, and responses need to be received by 30 April.
🎉 Three new stores are set to open in Wimbledon Quarter this year. The first (coming early summer) is Jungle Berry, a healthy, sustainable açai store offering healthy food and refreshing drinks. The second (coming late summer) is Lovisa, a fashion-forward Australian jewellery brand. The third (coming in autumn) is Inner Strength, a space dedicated to teaching yoga to athletes.
Property of the week 🏡
This is certainly one of the most modern properties we’ve featured. This five-bedroom semi-detached house comes with everything from a built-in wine fridge to artificial grass and a dedicated patio area for barbecuing in the garden. But what about the price. This one comes in at a cool £2m. Check out more photos here.
The Wimble’s to-do list 🎯
🎨 Exhibition: 20th Century French & Italian Paintings: Head to Wimbledon Fine Art as they host a new exhibition of 20th-century French & Italian paintings from a range of artists including Regis Bouvier de Cachard, Andre Raffin, Maurice Boitel, Roberto Ferruzzi and Michel Maly.
Where: Wimbledon Fine Art
When: Sunday 26 April – Sunday 10 May (12–3pm on Sunday 26 April)
🎶 The Making Of ABBA: The Story Of The Band’s 1975 Breakthrough Album: Author Joe Matera is at Wimbledon Library, sharing the story of ABBA’s self-titled 1975 classic, from writing to global commercial breakthrough. The event is free, but you’ll need to book a space here as it’s a highly sought-after event.
Where: Wimbledon Library
When: Tuesday 28 April, 7.30pm
🥂 La Crème de la Crémant: Crémant generally specialises in the grape varieties of the region and is made in both white and rosé styles. It’s almost always cheaper than champagne, but it is often equally as high in quality. Head to Amathus next week to try six varieties from different regions. Tickets are £40 per person.
Where: Amathus, Wimbledon Village
When: Wednesday 29 April, 6.30–8pm
🦪 Rocks x Guinness: It might shock you, but oysters and Guinness are actually a fantastic combination. Get yourself to the Rose & Crown next week to find out for yourself! Watch professional shuckers at work as they prepare the freshest oysters, served both beautifully chilled and indulgently hot. Expect bold pairings, including rich Guinness Welsh Rarebit, crafted to elevate every bite and sip. Book here.
Where: Rose & Crown
When: Saturday 2 May, 2–4pm
🏎 Southside Hustle Classic Car Meet: This informal meeting of classic car owners in Wimbledon (and the surrounding areas) features a stunning array of cars — some of which are extremely rare. If you’re a petrolhead, or you just like the idea of a bunch of classic cars in one place, then head to Wimbledon Village next Sunday.
Where: Wimbledon Common Southside near the farmers’ market.
When: Sunday 3 May, 8–11am
🦅 International Dawn Chorus Day Bird Walk: This event has the earliest start of any we’ve promoted. Join local volunteer bird expert Les Evans-Hill at 4.45am next weekend to celebrate International Dawn Chorus Day 2026. The walk will cover some different terrains, and some areas may be wet underfoot, so waterproof footwear is recommended. And bring a pair of binoculars if you have them.
Where: Commons Rangers’ Office
When: Sunday 3 May, 4.45am
An evening at Black Radish: Good things come in small packages 🫑
It’s an unusually warm spring evening as we make our way from Colliers Wood to Black Radish. We take our seats by the window and look out at the bustling traffic along Merantun Way.
Black Radish is an intimate 12-seat Anglo-French dining experience. In layman’s terms, that means you pay £85 for six courses and don’t ask if they “do chips with that”. The first dish – which is not actually part of the set menu but is given to tables as a quasi-amuse-bouche – is a selection of pickled beetroots. I’ve never been a fan of beetroots. But in this instance, the pickling has worked wonders, and I find myself genuinely enjoying the experience (for the first time in my life). The first “official” course is a selection of Mexican marigold-smoked eel croustades and canapé-sized portions of cultured butter Cornish sea bass. It might be small, but it’s an exceptionally well-balanced dish and the perfect way to start the meal.
We then move on to one of Black Radish’s showstoppers: agnolotti (pasta) filled with Wimbledon Quarter Rooftop Farm’s mushrooms and wild garlic. This is a real sit-back-in-your-chair-in-disbelief kind of dish. With so few ingredients, Toby and the team have done something magnificent. It’s a dish that works perfectly this time of year – hearty enough for the colder evenings but with that fresh zing you expect during springtime.
Throughout the meal, we sample a few glasses of wine (a makeshift “wine flight”, if you will). The first glass we order is the Tokaj Dry Furmint from 2020. Tokaj is a legendary Hungarian wine known for its intense sweetness and aromas of citrus fruits (chiefly orange peel) and honeysuckle. Tokaj tends to be drunk as a dessert wine, but in this case we’ve got a dry variety that works and pairs perfectly with our next dish: line-caught pollock, Cornish lobster and Datterini tomatoes.
I am already starting to feel slightly full when the next plate arrives: rose veal, sweetbread, asparagus, and broad beans paired with black garlic. Without a doubt, this is one of the finest cuts of meat I’ve had in years. The expression “melt in your mouth” is overused when talking about food, but in this case it really is the only descriptor that does the veal justice. The sweet molasses flavours from the black garlic offset the richness of the meat perfectly. It’s a dish I’ll be thinking about for a long time. For this dish, the sommelier recommends an orange wine from Portugal. Orange wine has become something of a trend in recent years. But what people don’t tend to realise is that orange wine can vary significantly in its flavour. I prefer a lighter orange wine – they tend to have less of that cidery-tannic aftertaste – and this one is just that. At the same time, it’s got enough of a body to stand up to the meat course.
Then we’re on to the beetroot sorbet. As I said before, I’m not a beetroot guy – but whatever they’re doing to the beetroots in the kitchen has me questioning my former convictions. It’s an earthy and sweet dessert that cleanses the palate after all the rich and delicate flavours from the previous courses. It is also delicious. This is followed by a rich chocolate dessert that I adore but struggle to finish – I’ve been eating for nearly three hours at this point, so you can hardly blame me.
We leave Black Radish slightly dazed after such an immersive experience. I wave goodbye to Toby, though he’s got his head down fixing up a table’s dessert from the open kitchen. Black Radish is one of SW19’s finest restaurants — there is no doubt about that. And while it may not be the cheapest restaurant, it’s certainly one that you won’t forget. Let’s hope for Black Radish’s continued success — and for many mouthwatering multi-course dinners to come.
Check out Black Radish’s website for opening times and for booking.
Question of the week 🔍
Last week, I asked you which sport was the favourite among locals before tennis? The answer: croquet.
Q: Which pub in Wimbledon Village was a stop for stagecoaches before the area had a train station?
You’re up to date 👋
Thank you for reading this week’s edition of The Wimble. I hope you enjoyed our little feature on Black Radish. Do book yourself a spot – tables tend to go quickly. Other than that, have a great rest of the week and we’ll see you next time. Oh, and good luck to all the locals running the marathon this weekend!