A little Czech mate in Battersea
On the face of it, hearing about a new Czechoslovakian restaurant in deepest Battersea doesn't immediately set the gastro pulse racing. Unbidden, a blurry image of serious dumplings drifts inexorably into the mind... 'And with the dumplings, perhaps sir would like some more, er, dumplings?' All of which is pretty unfair, and not at all representative of the Boho Bohemian Bar and Restaurant.
This is a lively place with a good atmosphere. Granted, the d?cor is stark (that's functional stark, not Philippe Starck), but the long tables with benches ? la Wagamama mix people up and give the place a cheerful ambience.
The drinks are important here: absinthe, Truth vodka, a Czechoslovakian wine called Sekt Karistejn, and, best of all, beer - including Kozel lager which, according to the menu blurb, has won the World Beer Championships in Chicago five times in the last six years (there was one year when it came second). It's very good, particularly the Kozel Dark (£2.15) which is a chestnut-coloured brew, as rich and delicious as you could wish for.
The food is pleasantly informal. There are good snacks. Ordering karbanatek besi (£2.50) brings you two small hamburgers, a tad underseasoned but pretty good. Or there's Devil's Toast (£2.50). This is fried bread topped with spicy minced meat and melted Edam cheese. Some of the other snacks don't seem wildly Czechoslovakian: smooth duck-and-orange p?t? with toasted brown bread (£2.50); battered calamari with tartare sauce and a mixed leaf salad (£3). But the goulash soup (£2) is the real deal and comes with a large hunk of bread. Mains are a similar ragbag.
There's a Boho goulash (£6.50) which comes with Bohemian dumplings. The dumplings have had a bad press. These are much lighter in texture than you would presuppose and, as if to emphasise the point, they are dished up in slices which look very like pieces of bread.
Dishes like whole bream (£9.50) - cooked in foil with onions, peppers, tomatoes and coriander - don't sound very Middle European, but the roasted pork knuckle (£6.50) is an authentic dish; it's enormous and you must wrestle it about the plate in an attempt to reduce it to manageable chunks. It shares the arena with a dollop of horseradish sauce, some sauerkraut and red cabbage. If you are in a serious eating mood, a few belts of Kozel Dark and a pork knuckle will prove to be a very satisfactory outing.
Experts will probably fall for the charms of the svickova (£8.50), subtitled 'Czech's No 1 Dish' - this is roast beef served with its own traditional creamy vegetable sauce and Bohemian dumplings. One thing is certain, you will probably need to take on board a good deal of Kozel and maybe some absinthe before the dessert special, strawberry dumplings (£3), becomes a must-have dish. Boho is a cheerful, inexpensive eatery where the food is satisfying and the beer amazing.
Boho
517-519 Battersea Park Road, SW11
