The Hawk's Nest, Shepherd's Bush: A Woodland Dream in West London

Some places find you at exactly the right moment. The Hawk's Nest found us on one of those properly miserable October Friday nights, rain coming down hard and the kind of cold that makes you walk faster. Stepping inside felt like stepping into somewhere entirely separate from all of that, warm and candlelit and strung with fairy lights, plants everywhere, the kind of interior that makes you want to stay for one more drink even when you meant to leave an hour ago. If a barnyard and a wine bar had a baby and it moved to Shepherd's Bush, it would look exactly like this.

The Hawk's Nest Bar.

The Hawk's Nest is a neighbourhood pizza kitchen and bar tucked under an arch in west London, and it does a very good job of being exactly what a neighbourhood spot should be. Not trying too hard, not underdelivering, just a genuinely good place to spend an evening. We were there to eat our way through the menu and it did not disappoint.

We started with the Nocellara olives and the mushroom and truffle arancini, which set the tone immediately. The arancini were rich and properly seasoned, the kind of thing you finish before you meant to. The dips came with bread and we worked our way through all three, picanté, garlic and herb, and sundried tomato pesto. The sundried tomato pesto was the standout by some distance. If you're going, make sure that one is on the table.

The bruschetta arrived next and it's worth saying that this is not your standard bruschetta. The menu lists it as a sharer and it earns that description, topped with cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, parmesan and basil, more like a deconstructed pizza than anything else.

Hero Pizzas, Burrata and Double Pepperoni at The Hawk's Nest.

Then the pizzas. The roasted aubergine and kale on a parmesan and garlic cream base was a genuine highlight, the crispy kale adding texture against the softness of the aubergine, finished with sundried tomato pesto and parsley. The Parma ham and asparagus was lighter and more delicate, the lemon zest lifting the whole thing. Both landed exactly right. The tiramisu to finish was boozy so if you like yours to taste of the alcohol, this is your dessert.

To drink, a lychee martini that has since become my go-to order, and an old fashioned. Both excellent.

Cocktails at The Hawk's Nest.

The festive programme at The Hawk's Nest runs from November through to New Year and it feels genuinely worth planning around. Wreath making workshops with mulled wine on four dates in November and December, a Christmas market on 13th December with local retailers and live carols following in the evening, Christmas Eve jazz on the 24th, and a New Year's Eve party running until 3am. The weekly programme also continues throughout, with live music most nights and DJs on Fridays and Saturdays.

DJs at The Hawk's Nest.

The Marg and Marg deal, a Margherita pizza and a Margarita cocktail for £14.50, is available before 7pm Sunday to Friday and is exactly the kind of thing you should know about. Sunday Pint Club offers £4 pints from noon until 9pm.

This is the kind of place you file away for when you want to take someone somewhere that feels like a discovery. A date night, a birthday dinner for a small group, a Friday evening when you need the week to stop. On a cold rainy night in October, it was exactly what we needed.