The Summerhouse

Last Thursday my pal Saz and I went to the opening launch party of The Summerhouse by The Waterway, a beach hut-themed pop up restaurant in Little Venice. I was imagining it would literally be a shack on the canal towpath serving fish and chips, which just goes to show how little I know about Maida Vale. It was in fact in a former boathouse with an open terrace overlooking the water, and everything inside was nautical-themed: shell trinkets, comedy beach photos, navy stripes everywhere. Cute as (fish) pie.
Saz and I were charmed by the decor as well as the summery vibes, in spite of the distinctly chilly, windy April weather. We sampled some very lovely cocktails: lavender champagne and Pimms with blueberries, followed by canapes of various seafood dishes from the menu, including miniature fish and chips in little paper cups, crab croquettes and very potent Pimms jelly. The 'real' menu features all sorts of seafood -that might conjure up a holiday in the Hamptons, Brittany, or Whitstable for that matter: clam chowder, moules marinieres, fish cakes.
It's open now until October, and it definitely strikes the right tone for summer romance, although now we've tried it, Saz and I are just as likely to return for more of those lavender cocktails.