The Summer House

In a lot of ways, this Little Venice spot is quite ludicrous. It’s a rag-topped canalside restaurant in a city where it rains one in every three days, and where it’s hardly ever warm enough to sit outside without a rug on your lap or over your shoulders. Happily, they provide rugs, and we really respond to them calling themselves The Summer House. It’s just the sort of pursed lip irony that we love. The food here is OK at best, and it’s pricey too, but there’s something joyful about the place. It’s probably because they have to work overtime to maintain the summer-y vibes. You can head here on a rainy day, order a seabass to share, and even if it doesn’t brighten up enough for them to roll back the tarps, you’ll leave feeling like you’ve been on holiday.