A lovely, romantic dinner isn't what it used to be now that we have our very own bundle of sound and fury in the form of a 9 month old baby. Lunch is the new dinner and the restaurant needs to be child-friendly.
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www.brocca.co.uk
Brocca in Richmond's St Margarets is a cosy little Italian with a rustic feel. On a bleak, wintery day, it's the perfect spot to thaw out over lunch.

www.brocca.co.uk
Inside, the exposed brickwork and wood decor gives this little restaurant a warmth that makes you want to order a large glass of red wine. Luckily, there's a good selection of wines on the menu so take your pick from a Chianti to a Sangiovese. This time, myself and my other half went for a rather indulgent bottle of prosecco, which has a wonderful ability cheer up a grey, English day.
Since it's something I don't really cook myself, I plumped for Brocca's Risotto Mare which was packed full of prawns, mussels and cockles. I would highly recommend it. My other half went for the oven baked chicken supreme stuffed w sundried tomato, goat cheese wrapped in Parma ham. While he enjoyed it, he did admit to a bit of food envy.

www.brocca.co.uk
We shared the pannacotta for dessert which, though full, we managed to polish expertly polish off. Brocca's lovely food is reasonably priced. Mains are around £15, while their pizzas are £8-12. They were also happy to accommodate our pram and our potentially noisy baby.
Just 5 mins walk from St Margaret's train station, this cosy, authentic little Italian is worth a visit. I hear it gets busy in the evenings, so booking is a good idea. Another top tip is to keep an eye on the local Twickenham rugby fixtures because on rugby days their menu changes. Brocca gets great reviews for its breakfast too though that's still on my to do list.