But Byatt was lucky and found his niche in food, encouraged by his mother who cooked for a directors’ dining room, and inspired by his grandfather who had been a cook in the army. Leaving Romford behind, Byatt headed for Mayfair and four rigorous years in the kitchen at Claridge’s interspersed with periods of formal college training. This was followed by two years at Michelin-starred restaurant The Square where he learned about modern progressive cooking and the upscale clientele who populated the London foodie scene.

By 2001 Byatt was ready to go it alone and with close friend Adam Oates, he opened a small restaurant, Thyme, in what was then, a deeply unfashionable part of Clapham North. Thyme served just 20 dishes in starter sizes along with many wines by the glass, a groundbreaking concept then but now popular everywhere. Despite opening the day after 9/11, the restaurant flourished and became a destination for locals, critics, and many people unfamiliar with south London.

After much high-profile press coverage and a clutch of awards, Thyme was persuaded to relocate to a trendy arts complex in Covent Garden but Byatt was never comfortable there. He cut his losses and in 2006 opened Trinity, right in the heart of Clapham Old Town with its local mix of prosperous residential and modern business. Older, wiser and infinitely more confident, he understands intuitively what’s right for the area and has built up a loyal following with a remarkable number of regulars.  Over 200 people have been to the restaurant more than 25 times.

So what makes Trinity so popular? Well for a start, the street level dining room is very engaging, bright and fresh with large windows and bags of daylight. Situated on the Polygon, it is slightly removed from busy traffic and has an almost country feel. It isn’t a pompous restaurant but there are subtle luxurious touches – lush white table linen, dramatic flowers, comfortable seats with elegant cane backs and a long zinc bar and zinc-topped reception desk faced with  leather.

The food is a revelation for a local restaurant but it’s not dauntingly grand. You can splash out on a tasting menu or the lavish à la carte, go easy with a three-course dinner menu for £20 available from Monday – Thursday, sample a two- or three-course lunch, or settle down to a robust family roast on Sunday. Initially, Byatt was anxious that Trinity was trying to be all things to all people instead of following a narrow text book formula, but he discovered that’s exactly what his customers want. The same client who pushes the boat out to celebrate one day may need a modest working lunch or a simple supper another. Trinity can cope with anything.

Whatever you order, Byatt’s classical training shines through with light, delicious, imaginative food. All guests are served fresh bread, homemade butter and a savoury dip of smoked cod roe before dipping into the alluring menu that may include a ragout of oysters with cucumber, samphire and Champagne sauce, or sardines ‘a la plancha’ with a crisp anchovy and artichoke tart. There’s slow-cooked rump of aged beef that comes to table meltingly soft and rare, served with champ and wild garlic mayonnaise; caramelised veal sweetbreads with new season morels, broad beans and semolina gnocchi; and wood pigeon ‘en cocotte’ with braised lentils and hazelnuts. Mouth-watering puddings include rhubarb and ginger Pavlova, and a rich chocolate hotpot topped with pistachio ice-cream.

Byatt insists on high quality ingredients and the Trinity website proudly lists suppliers with line-caught and hand-dived fish and shellfish, organic and free range meat, fine cheeses and the best fruit and veg. Clever menu planning and ordering means that nothing is wasted and prices are kept in check. Saddle of venison arrives on Tuesday, a whole lamb on Wednesday, a quarter carcass of beef on Thursday, and wood pigeon on Friday. Similarly, the wine list focuses on reasonably priced artisan wines and a selection of top end wines with non-greedy mark-ups. There’s a wide variety of wines from old and new world producers, with many available by glass and carafe. The list includes 11 Champagnes and a handful of sparkling wines from Italy and England.

Though not complacent, Adam Byatt is happy and loves what he does. ‘The restaurant has found its groove,’ he says ‘and is confident in its own skin.’ He shudders at the suggestion of ‘temple of gastronomy’, which harks back to the old-school type of restaurant where clients were in awe and staff were stiff and patronising. ‘Our clients are very quick with feedback’ he says, ‘they feel ownership and are very keen to tell us what they think. The food may have been great but a light bulb was missing, or no towels in the loo, and they’ll say so. You can’t take anyone for granted. Success and loyalty is all about over-delivery.’

His young front-of-house team are mostly drawn from the area and many are Australians and New Zealanders working their way through Europe with their own refreshing brand of hospitality. There’s a real sense of camaraderie at the restaurant, with everyone seeming genuinely thrilled to be working there.

Social networking is a crucial part of keeping in touch and Trinity has embraced it eagerly. The online booking system is a valuable resource of customer preferences, while Byatt writes the e-newsletter himself, keeping the message lively, personal and relevant.

The new cookbook, How to Eat In, is Byatt’s first and concentrates on the pleasures of cooking at home and sharing with family and friends. It reads like a social document as much as a reference book and clearly relates back to the his own childhood when shared meals were the focal point of home life. Alongside recipes and stunning images, there are sections on making your own bread, an introduction to kitchen basics, how to involve children in the cooking process and a seasonal calendar of what to buy when. It’s clear, enticing and confidence-building, even for a beginner, and amongst the pictures, there are starring roles for his own children, Jack and Rosie.

I ask Byatt about Michelin, the chef’s Holy Grail, and he pauses. ‘It’s tricky,’ he says, ‘Michelin used to be top of my wish list but I don’t go out of my way to get a star. I want to fill the restaurant and keep my customers happy. But it’s such an important thing, with so much cachet. It cements the business to the floor and says ‘we’re here to stay’ and it would definitely bring in a wider clientele. But more than anything, I’d love to get one for the staff – that seal of approval would make them very happy. Fingers crossed.’

Menu Highlights

Wild garlic soup with celery salt and soft boiled pheasant egg

Venison and hazelnut scotch egg with Jerusalem artichoke soup and juniper

Yellowfin tuna ceviche, sesame and cucumber

Ballottine of cod with mussel and saffron soup

Risotto of morels with homemade ricotta and Sicilian lemon puree

Roast salt marsh lamb with aubergine, black olive and Parmesan

Creme caramel with drunken apricots

Blood orange crepe suzette with vanilla ice cream

Cheeses from Neal’s Yard and La Fromagerie

The new book

Adam Byatt’s first cookbook, How to Eat In has just been published in hardback by Random House, £25.

Trinity, 4 The Polygon, Clapham, London SW4 0JG, 020 7622 1199 www.trinityrestaurant.co.uk

Cooking: 8/10
Best table: Table 6, by the window, in the corner. Table one is uncomfortably close to the door but you get a great view. No rotten tables, all well spaced.
Sex Appeal: Sophisticated and up-to-date. You’ll get brownie points for booking
Price: About £60 a head for a la carte and wine but good value three-course dinner menu, £20, Monday – Thursday, and three-course lunch, £23. Six-course Tasting menu, £38, or with matching wines, £68, for when you’re pushing the boat out.

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