I first encountered Annie’s restaurant in Chiswick when a girlfriend celebrated a rather special birthday there with around thirty close friends and family members. Owner Lorraine Angliss was hovering in the background (as much as this striking and exotically clad woman can) calmly overseeing the event with a razor-sharp eye for detail. Not surprisingly, we actually took up the whole upper floor. However, with the help of Lorraine’s unique flair for design and decoration (her restaurants are lovingly crafted and sumptuously embellished with specially sourced objets) and fuelled by copious amounts of chilled champagne along with a mouthwatering menu, we all felt so cosy that it was really like being in someone’s beautiful and intimate drawing room. Fairytale touches like a trail of twinkling tea lights to guide us up the stairs magically set the scene.

Lorraine Angliss, stylishly flamboyant but commercially savvy, has a prolific CV, with more than 25 years in the restaurant business, She was there, right at the beginning of the showbiz tinged restaurant culture, managing Coconut Grove in the late 1970’s and then taking it to Marbella, where it was a magnet for the rich and famous. Impressed with her repertoire, Bill Wyman approached her to launch the now legendary Sticky Fingers, where they started the trend for celebrity-owned theme restaurants.

With this theatrical pedigree it isn’t surprising that the two Annie’s restaurants – there’s another in Barnes, and a third venture in the pipeline – attract an interesting clientele. The Annie’s ethos has brasserie-style British and Mediterranean influences, with a warm and welcoming ambience. The defining element is Lorraine’s artistic flair, her personal stamp on each of her restaurants, how she lovingly creates a home from home environment.

As I look at a colour snapshot of the birthday evening at Chiswick I spy softly lit crystal chandeliers, a squishy sofa, candlelight, butterflies, antique leather-bound books, giant amethyst smoked goblets and rose-pink, freshly cut flowers. Reflected in a giant gilt mirror is Lorraine, unmistakably feline in a leopard-print gilet. It’s all very, very eclectic, and boy, does it work.

Geographically, the restaurants are highly desirable and both are social and business destinations in their local areas of leafy south-west London. (Chiswick Annie’s is a stones-throw from the River Thames.) The England Rugby Team, not far from their native Twickenham, visit, and they feel as relaxed having a hearty eggs Benedict breakfast as Hugh Grant does when enjoying a discreet evening à deux. In the summertime, Barnes comes into its own, with a tiled ‘secret garden’ and ‘boulevard tables’.

Now, you may well say that all this arty-crafty décor and feeling comfortably at home is useless without good food. And you’d be right. But, I kid you not; Annie’s food is delicious. (And affordable!) Lorraine Angliss prides herself on a unique mix of British and Mediterranean, her menus reflecting a quirky complement of the traditional and the continental.

How about these to get your taste buds going: Halloumi, roast squash, with fig and caramelised shallot salad. Or there’s slow-roast pork belly with sweet potato mash and apple rosemary compote. Last but not least, freshly prepared risotto of the day, salad of char-grilled chicken, oven-roasted tomato and red onion, pine nuts and Parmesan. To top that lot off – the piece de resistance – it’s gotta be Annie’s sublime Sticky Toffee Pudding!

World class dishes like these are nothing without a robust but fragrant wine list. Here’s just a taster from Lorraine’s personal selection to complement the menu: Viognier de Pennautier 2005, “round, full and honeyed, gently aromatic with soft apricot flavour”. La Grande Courtade Cabernet Sauvignon Rose 2005, “fruity on the palate, yet dry on the finish”. Sauvignon Blanc Mansion House Bay NZ 2006, “full & assertive with vibrant acidity & crisp fruit”. Rioja Crianza, Bodegas Aldeanueva 2003, “well-balanced and mature, showing a warm and earthy disposition”. Finally, the Blush Royale cocktail, “a sensuous blend of champagne and rose syrup, finished with a crystalised rose petal”.

Deservedly, the respected Harden’s Restaurant Guide gave Annie’s a glowing critique and rated the restaurants in the top five in London for ambience for the category of £34 or less. This what they said: "Beautiful decoration that's both cosy and sumptuous" – plus "extremely welcoming staff" - helps create a "relaxing vibe" at these West London "gems". "Wonderful brunch" is a highlight of the "hearty" cooking.”

I couldn’t agree more. Bon appetit!

Telephone 020 8994 9080

ANNIE’S BARNES: 36 - 38 White Hart Lane, London, SW13 0PZ

Telephone 020 8878 2020

VISIT THE WEBSITE AT www.anniesrestaurant.co.uk