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Coppa Putney is the most recent addition to the Coppa Club cult coffee brand with an all-day-dining vibe. There are nine locations across London, south west suburbs, and Brighton. The Putney branch having opened in November 2021, Vada Magazine were invited to try out this latest location on the south bank of the Thames.
Coppa Putney
Coppa Putney is both a café, bar, restaurant and lounge, with an interior that feels like a private members club, but is open to all.
Entering the riverside retreat between the wrap-around terrace and outdoor igloos, Coppa Putney welcomes guests into a comfy lounge area, drawing on a blue and green colour palate throughout to reflect the boating heritage of Putney. In the evening, when we visited, this space offers a lounge-like feel, with dimmed lights, and relaxed bar.
The lounge leads to a library snug, which is filled with decorative bookcases and acts as an all-day workspace, complete with cosy sofas, wooden furnishings, and a welcoming fireplace. Turning the other direction, the lounge opens out into the restaurant area, which has been broken out into considered sections to allow for more intimate dining moments as well as to accommodate larger groups.
In short, Coppa Putney has created a very boujie venue in the perfect location to draw in diners and guests everyday of the week.
Menu
Coppa Putney offers its interpretation of the modern take on British and Mediterranean classics, with safe options of fishcakes, Caesar salad, burgers, pasta and pizza. On a Tuesday evening, we chose off the standard menu and an item off the seasonal festive menu.
We started with the Buttermilk fried chicken (£7) served with chilli mayo and a crunchy slaw, and the Burrata with roasted baby beets (£8). Both dishes were well presented, the fried chicken with the perfect balance between exterior crunch and inner tender meat.
For main courses we chose Roasted Loch Duart Salmon Fillet (£16.50) from the festive menu, with a side of baked sprouts and chestnuts (£4.50). This fish was perfectly cooked, and we hope this main course is added to the standard menu to be available all year round. The sprouts arrived sans marrons (chestnuts). Even after enquiring we received no explanation and no offer to replace the side dish. We also tried to order roast potatoes, but apparently the kitchen had just run out – having insufficient potatoes for a dinner service is a cardinal sin we could not forgive, as roast potatoes are essential on any festive menu. We chose our other main course off the standard menu, a Buddha bowl (£11.50) with tenderstem broc, grains, rocket, soft boiled egg and a tahini dressing, with added chicken (£5). Much like our starters the bowl was healthy, colourful, and well presented.
Pudding came in the form of a warm treacle tart (£8), served with honeycomb ice cream and candied orange. One shared between two on this occasion, as we needed to attempt some form of self-restraint before the festive season kicks in proper.
Those who dine in an igloo are offer an extended menu with extra options, including a truffled wagyu burger and a warm chocolate fondant with caramelised white chocolate and salted caramel ice cream. In no establishment should a chocolate fondant be used to divide the haves (igloo diners) and have nots (all other diners), this should be a dessert option open to all at Coppa Putney.
All the menu items (bar the chestnuts and roast potatoes) were all perfectly cooked, delicious and well presented. The issue we have is that the menu itself did not excite – all food items are incarnations of the most popular choices from a range of cuisines. The effect is that nothing jumps out.
Overall thoughts
Coppa Putney has set a high bar, combining perfect riverside location with private members club feel – we recommend it for locals and those wanting an upmarket option outside of London’s zone 1 for a comfy afternoon drink (after a winter stroll along the river) or evening meal. This high bar of the interior and venue vibe however is not matched by the current menu. Everything that arrived on our table was delicious and well-presented, the menu choices just lacked that wow factor flair of creativity of a few standout options. We are putting the lack of chestnuts and roast potatoes down to teething problems of a new venue, giving Coppa Putney the benefit of the doubt.
Three courses costing approximately £35 per person (plus drinks and service) make Coppa Putney a competitive choice on price as well as location.
Coppa Putney is located at 29 Brewhouse Lane, London, SW15 2JX
For more information on or to book, visit coppaclub.co.uk
