ANTONIA'S

I had not known what to expect when my eldest daughter led me into Antonia's. It was a Saturday lunchtime and, in preparation for her return to university, we had been shopping locally for those last minute items which your Dad can always pay for! Her old school friend, Hannah, was tagging along with us having stayed over the previous night at our house

So, laden with shopping and in need of refreshment, we clumsily entered what I had expected to be a coffee shop. A regular coffee shop it is not!

Having sat down and read the menu, it did not take long to decide that we may as well stay for lunch. There were homemade soups at £2.95 or salads at £3.95 and the "daily special" on one menu. On another, they were offering pasta, freshly made pizza and house specials. The tempting choices of Italian fare were conveniently priced for either regular or large servings (between £5.95 and £7.95).

My daughter immediately went for the 12" parma ham and mushroom pizza. Hannah chose a "special", chorizo risotto stuffed peppers with vegetable and for me the penne pasta with pancetta, peas, crème fraiche and parsley. You are invited to "build" your own past choosing sauces and ingredients but my view is that it is best to leave this to the professionals unless you are allergic to something.

The food was good but onto the drinks. Naturally teas and coffees were on offer, but the speciality seemed to be their fruit juices, smoothies, milkshakes and frappes, although bottled beer and wine is also available. There is an outside seating area and I could just imagine myself, on a warmer day, sipping any one of these drinks whilst letting the world go by. Antonia's is situated in the west area of the Broadway Centre and, sheltered from the roundabout traffic, looks out onto the paved space which is common to The Trout and what used to be Smolensky's.

The inside is also an attractive place to be. It is bright, smart and informal and I liked the modern oil paintings on the wall. The patronage came from a cross range of age groups, some lunching, some just drinking and some just enjoying one of the splendid looking cakes on display.

We were recommended by a very pleasant and unassuming member of staff to try the home made Victoria sponge which had literally just arrived. We did, and rounded this pit stop off with coffees too.

We had come in for fifteen minutes as tired shoppers but, surprisingly, well over an hour had passed pleasantly and we felt fully refreshed! I imagine this is a good destination for office workers during the week.

by Harry Smith

MED MAGIC 'MAKING A FRESH START'

A restaurant offering a variety of healthy Mediterranean dishes is the first food venture for Melissa Farrés-Caddick – but she has cooking in the blood. She is the owner of Antonia's which held it's launch party on September 25th at it's site in Hammersmith Broadway, although it has been open for about two months.

The business is where Frank's and Noventy used to be, close to Smollensky's and the Trout pub, and it had been empty for a while until Antonia's moved in as the only independent in the Broadway. " It's my first time running a restaurant but my father ran a restaurant, Oliver's, in Olympia for about 27 years – "I grew up on the kitchen floor really," said Melissa. The 31-year-old knows the Hammersmith area well, having worked for Haymarket dealing with exhibitions and large shows. "I worked in this area for six years and we were always consumed by what place we would go for lunch," she said. "I wanted to offer a healthy fresh alternative which was affordable and fresh."

Her change of career was inspired by her Spanish father's example and the emphasis at Antonia's is on fresh food cooked on the premises. There are favourites and specialities always on offer, which vary depending on the season, but diners can also mix and match to create their own dishes, such as a particular pasta with a classic sauce, pizzas with customised toppings or salads. Fresh juices and smoothies are served. "It's about feeding the imagination," said Melissa.

There is seating for 50 inside and 40 outside and it's open from 8am – 9pm, so can cope with breakfast, lunch and dinner. When it opened in the summer the schools were on holiday and many office workers were away – but the numerous performances of High School Musical at the nearby Hammersmith Apollo certainly helped and now Melissa is concentrating on encouraging repeat business. "We are ready for the people who will stay with us. We are comfortable and confident and getting stronger and stronger. It helps that as an independent we have a flexible approach – that is very important."

Companies are starting to hold interviews at Antonia's in the more relaxed atmosphere and breakfast meetings could be on the cards. It is a restaurant with a personal touch, with Melissa's middle name providing the title. She does have an admission to make, "I hate it as a middle name but it certainly gives the restaurant more personality…"

Tom Derbyshaw, Hammersmith & Fulham News, 7th October 2008

SPECIAL REPORT: WOMEN IN BUSINESS.

'From Generic Bland To A Food Promised Land'

It may have tables in a sun-drenched courtyard close to a major road, but Antonia's somehow feels a million miles away from the bustle of the nearby Hammersmith gyratory. Outside, casually dressed customers sit sipping coffee, and the hypnotic aroma of Mediterranean cooking floats through the open doors.

Proprietor and founder Melissa Farrés-Caddick is one of H&F entrepreneurs making a success story of their business despite the economic downturn. The restaurant in Hammersmith Broadway shopping centre opened just over a year ago, and Melissa – whose middle name has graced the business with it's moniker – attributed the good start to two factors: quality and uniqueness. "I wanted to escape generic convention. Everything here is made fresh. We even bake our own bread and pizza bases," she said. The 'restaurant gene' clearly runs in the family – her father was the owner of the famous and much-missed Oliver's in Olympia. She has also, from the outset been aided by her mother.

Melissa who worked in Hammersmith for the last six years, hit on the concept for Antonia's after she realised the lion's share of conversation at the office revolved around one subject: what to have for lunch. "The trouble with Hammersmith is there isn't much option apart from sandwiches. Those places feel so pre-packaged, and it's pretty difficult to tell them apart," she said.

Antonia's Mediterranean theme derives from Melissa's Spanish heritage but, as she admits, it 'covers a pretty wide umbrella of cuisine… there's something for everyone' Particularly popular is the highly original concept of design your own pasta. "People can decide whatever they want in their pasta," she said. "If it looks too revolting, I might warn them against it, though!"

Private parties have proved popular, with the restaurant's spacious courtyard allowing people to spill out without fear of getting in the way. Despite offers, Melissa has, for now, vetoed the idea of expansion, fearing the effect of corporate identity would destroy the spirit of the business.

As an afterthought, Melissa explains the formula behind her success: "There's something different on offer every day. The concept works and that's the main thing."

Digby Warde-Aldam, Hammersmith & Fulham News, 28th July 2009