Spring is in the air at Chiswick – even if it’s mid-autumn the garden and grounds, ever-present through the French windows of the glasshouse-style dining room, seem to threaten to burst into bloom at any moment.

There are green shoots in the kitchen, too, with Matt Moran signing young chef Samuel Rozsnyoi. His style is well suited to the farmhouse setting, dressed up with fresh daisies on thick wooden tables.

A plate of thinly sliced chilled porchetta is strewn with fermented chilli and pickled garden vegetables that bite, hard. Grilled Roman beans are dotted with a rough-cut tapenade that warms through gently on the plate.

Every second table of good haircuts and white teeth is ordering lamb shoulder to share, but cassarecce with broad beans and mint is just as comforting. Staff are confident, wine builds on crowd-pleasers and the strawberry trifle is on its way. This is how to long lunch.

Must-order dish: “Barra-masalata” skips the tarama and instead whips smoked barramundi into feather-light dip served with crisped vegetables for scooping.

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