Italian

Palatino – Review

March 26, 2017 by Adrian

Palatino Clerkenwell

71 Central St. , EC1V 8AB

0203 481 5300/Palatino.london

Stevie Parle is the enfant terrible of the London restaurant scene. Still in his early 30s he has just opened Palatino, his fifth London restaurant with Rotorino, Dock Kitchen, Craft London and Sardine completing the band. Trained at The River Café, Moro and Petersham Nurseries Stevie covers a variety of styles; from global explorations at Dock Kitchen to Craft’s Britishness and now a focus on Roman food at Palatino, named after the eternal city’s Palatine Hill. Can he keep the standard up with five places? And with Isaac McHale’s new Italian joint Luca in the locality is Clerkenwell, traditionally an Italian neighbourhood, big enough for the two of them? Palatino sits on the ground floor of Fora, an office concept that combines the services you get in a hotel or private members’ club within a work space. The restaurant itself is an open airy space with a metropolitan European urban feel. It features a pasta machine, a wood burning grill and a stone oven for grills and pizza.It’s rude not to start with an aperitivo. Mine was a Cynar spritz (£6) made with the classic artichoke based amari with its trademark bittersweet flavour. Fiona’s Sgroppino with Lemon sorbet, prosecco and vodka (£10) was more frivolous, like a fizzy limoncello. Good antipasti are one of the greatest pleasures in life. Salt cod crudo came with sultry segments of blood orange and my favourite Cappezana olive oil (£8). The dish was beautifully gentle with the richness of the oil caressing the tongue and coalescing the citrus and maritime flavours into a serenely synchronised flotilla of pleasure. I was disappointed that carciofi alla Giudia (Jewish deep-fried artichokes- a Roman staple) wasn’t on the menu; but fried sage and honey vinegar (£3) were slivers of herby crispness given a sweet kiss by the vinegar. Puntarelle, crunchy slivers of greenery, were given a piquant edge by anchovies and vinegar (£5).After antipasti it’s time for primi and that means pasta. Maltagliati (£6.50) are made from offcuts (maltagliati means poorly cut) from other pasta shapes. These were silky but with a real bite, and slathered with wild garlic – I could have eaten a bucket load. By now we had moved onto a bottle of Nebbiolo, Langhe, G.D Vajra, Piedmont, 2015 (£52). It had a lovely balance of tannins and cherry flavours. Bream came with onions, pine nuts, raisins and vinegar (£17.50) – the fish was rich and sweet with a hint of sourness from the vinegar and in a clever touch strips of radicchio to add a hint of bitterness.Fiona’s Saltimbocca; veal, prosciutto, spinach, sage and Marsala (£14) came in a rich meaty jus with the veal being tender and full of flavour. Fried potato gnocchi, Parmesan and garlic (£4) could have spent a couple more minutes in the pan as they were slightly doughy. I want them crisp! Swiss chard (£4) felt healthy and fennel, castelfranco (this year’s trendy Italian bitter leaf – stock up…), pomegranate and lemon salad was heavy on the castelfranco but not in a bad way.

Campari and blood orange sorbet (£6) was a bittersweet symphony of flavours.

And Chocolate, pistachio and honeycombe (£7) was intense and rich and came with a large blob of marscapone. Imagine Gina Lollabrigida eating a Crunchie.

I really liked Palatino. It’s serious about feeding people well in an informal setting at a price point that won’t make your eyeballs explode. I prefer it to Luca which is a much fancier operation that needs to loosen up a bit. But hey, if you’re after Italian in Clerkenwell you now have options.

QP LDN – Review

February 5, 2017 by Adrian

QP LDN Mayfair

34 Dover St, W1S 4NG

020 3096 1444/www.qp-ldn.com/

Quattro Passi is a 2 Michelin star restaurant in the Amalfi village of Nerano where chef Antonio Mellino plies his trade. Quattro Passi translates as four steps and refers to the distance from the restaurant to the sea. God knows I want to go there. Fortunately for us three years ago Antonio opened a London outpost recently relaunched in January as QP LDN alongside a new Dubai output. I’m excited to have been invited to review the new iteration.

The London restaurant is all about regionality – the food is Amalfi-inspired and we perused the menu whilst drinking an elegantly dry Serre Lovre Valdobbiadene Prosecco. The sommelier recommended wine matching which is always an excellent idea in my book.

I like the interior which is a mix of Mayfair bling with Italian Pop Art on the walls. It’s at moments like this that I wish I was tall and rakishly wealthy with a disinterested model hanging off my arm…I would so suit the place.

Some pre-starters arrived: mildly spicy sausage arancini, deliciously light Focaccia pizzete and clouds of Ricotta stuffed pizza bread. They would all make great aperitivi snacks.

We moved onto a glass of a dry Sardinian white, Silenzi Isola dei Nuraghi, a blend of 50% Vermentino and 50% Nuragus (a native Sardinian white grape used to produce dry wines). It was a great match with our starters – a Yellow fin tuna tartare served with avocado salad (£20.50) where the richness of the fish and avocado was cut through by some mild spicing – and the fresh, crisp crunch of smoked and marinated salmon served on an apple, nut and cucumber salad on a yoghurt sauce (£18.50). The fish was great quality and both dishes were beautifully composed.

Linguine Alle Nerano is one of the restaurant’s signature dishes. Gluten free, al dente linguine with fried zucchini came slathered in a salty Parmesan sauce (£19) – it was a great blend of texture and flavour and perfect with the light cherry tannins of a Bonacosta Valpolicella Classico 2015.

Squid tagliatelle with cauliflower (£18.50) was a standout dish. Narrow strips of squid came steamed in a delicious orange and lemon marinade, washed down by a melony Pietrabianca Castel del Monte 2014 Chardonnay with a long lemon finish. I’m coming back for more!

Halibut is one of the meatiest of white fishes and was served with a herb crust of parsley, mint, basil and thyme (there’s a song in there somewhere) with Cavolo Nero and a Jerusalem artichoke cream (£29). This was a robust and rich dish with big flavours that I loved.

A beautifully plated fillet of line caught sea bass with a wonderfully creamy zucchini cream and a Mediterranean sauce (£33.50) was beautifully cooked with the flesh firm and glistening; it would make a great, light summery dish.

Chocolate and caramel mousse with Passion fruit sorbet (£8.50) was rich and unctuous with the classic passion fruit pairing giving a hint of sweetness.

A warm orange tart with chocolate ice-cream (£9) was a great combo bringing together those bitter and sweet flavours that the Italians love so much. Our glass of Leone de Castris, Pierale Moscato dolce was bursting with apricots and a great way to end the meal.

QP LDN is everything you want from a Mayfair restaurant. It’s a sexy and glamorous with food telling a seductive story of the Southern Italian coastline. I hope it does well because it deserves to.

Gatti’s – Review

August 30, 2016 by Adrian

Gatti’s City

City Point, 1 Ropemaker Street, Moorgate, EC2Y 9AW

0207 628 8375/citypoint@gattisrestaurant.co.uk

I love exploring the latest food and dining trends-I could be up for eating insect-based food in a blacked-out dining room…naked….but sometimes I crave a bit of old-school Italian charm, a dessert trolley and a menu that offers certainty and not too much innovation. So an invitation to review Gatti’s in the City Point development near Moorgate seemed like an excellent idea.There is a wine bar on the ground floor level but her ladyship and I descended down past the private dining room to a surprisingly large basement area. The plan was to try out the Classic and Contemporary menus which run for the whole summer, but there is also a substantial à la carte offer. Both the menus are £34.99 per person for three courses and include a glass of Veuve Clicquot Rich with crudités which took me by surprise because the raw fruit and veg (red peppers, cucumber, celery or pineapple) are for putting in the fizz. The champagne has a sugar content of 22% which is quite high so I chose cucumber with its cool vegetal tones which turned the drink into a delicious summer’s cocktail. Her ladyship went for the red pepper which with a dish of tapenade or bowl of olives could be just the thing.Perfectly grilled scallops came with crunchy asparagus, ginger, garlic, and fresh chilli dressing with a crispy shard of Parma ham sitting on top. This is the food I want to eat in the summer-light but with great flavours. I would have preferred the Tempura di Mare of deep fried prawns, scampi, and calamari with tartar to have a lighter batter as the seafood felt slightly overwhelmed. By now we were drinking a wonderful Chardonnay Bramito del Cervo from Umbria made by the great Italian wine house, Antinori (£38.90). It had great structure and toasty notes of apples and citrus.A tender and full-flavoured rack of lamb came coated in grissini crumbs with nutty, caramelised grilled artichokes, tomatoes and a vegetal fresh basil pesto. This rich dish had a terrific balance of textures and flavours .Tagliolini di pasta fresca had a rough-hewn quality with home-made pasta tossed with red mullet, chilli, garlic and thinly sliced vegetables. I’m a big fan of red mullet and loved this dish with the bitterness of the radicchio leaves giving each mouthful an unexpected kick.Our trio of desserts-strawberry tiramisu, chocolate mousse and passionfruit pannacotta- were a delicious contrast of sweet flavours and we washed them down with a great Muscat-Passito di Noto from near Syracusa in Sicily-which coated the tongue with tropical fruit and spice flavours.

Classic Italian dining seems to be making something of a comeback and Gatti’s should be on your list if that’s your kind of thing. Service was charming and informed and the food should be shared with more than just the City crowd.

Enoteca Rabezzana – Review

January 31, 2015 by Adrian Leave a Comment

Enoteca Rabezzana Farringdon

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62-63 Long Lane, EC1A 9EJ

07831573234/http://www.rabezzana.co.uk

Young Genoese chef Guglielmo Arnulfo whose cooking I admired a couple of years ago at Acciuga (see our review), his Kensington restaurant showcasing the food of his native Liguria, has gone into partnership for his second venture with Italian winemakers Rabezzana Vini.

Together they have opened a new wine bar in the City. Enoteca Rabezzana is a much more informal operation than Acciuga with a menu of small dishes and sharing plates as well as an A la carte. With the Rabezzana connection it is also a more wine-driven offer and the list featuring almost 150 Italian bottles has real strength in depth.

But how would Arnulfo’s food translate to the hustle and bustle of the City? Some unexpected deep-fried courgettes came out of the kitchen-hot and fresh-just like me…

For my first dish I had to try the Ligurian speciality Trofie al pesto di Rossi (£11). It was sublime with a creaminess from the pasta and a vegetal taste from the basil that is quite specific to the basil from Genoa.

Fiona, who was reviewing with me went for sausages, Salamella alla Griglia (£6), which were rustic, meaty and salty. We were drinking a light red wine, a Verduno Bel Colle 2013 (£6.50 125 ml) that showed a great balance of tannin and fruit.

With our mains we drank a Falanghina from Abruzzo that was mineral and light and perfect with the Fritto misto di mare (£18). The fish and seafood were perfectly fried with the lightest of coatings and were so full of flavour that I wanted to weep tears of happiness. Obviously I didn’t but Guglielmo’s focus on using the best produce is articulated so eloquently in simple dishes like this and the trofie which are so delicious.

Paprika fries (£4) were crisp and spicy…

and a green salad (£3) was so simple and perfect with just a splash of oil and balsamic.

Dolce Amore (£8) was a delicious boozy take on a Tiramisu and

Bonet (£7), the soft Piedmontese dessert of rum, egg, cocoa and Amaretti biscuits, was rich and indulgent. We washed our desserts down with glasses of Malvasina di Castelnovo, a not too sweet sparkling red (£4.50 125ml).

The quality of cooking and ingredients at Enoteca Rabezzana is way beyond its price point. When Farringdon station reopens it will be impossible to get into. It is a place of real quality and integrity. Try it while you can.

Osteria dell Angelo – Review

April 23, 2014 by Adrian Leave a Comment

Osteria dell Angelo Westminster

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47 Marsham Street, Westminster SW1P 3DR

020 3268 1077/www.osteriadellangolo.co.uk/

An ‘Osteria’ is a simple country restaurant serving local produce and if I imagined for one minute that I was going to find a rustic hideaway in the Westminster village then I was swiftly disabused of that notion on entering Osteria dell Angelo.

With walls in terracotta and cream and studded with banquettes and leather chairs, the restaurant is an airy space with plenty of room for the politicos, hacks and lobbyists to be strictly ‘off the record’. Her ladyship and I toasted the political classes with a very clean tasting and light glass of Prosecco Sylvoz Le Coture (£7.50) whilst nibbling on some pretty decent bread and grissini. The menu is classically Italian with starters, pasta dishes , mains and desserts all listed.

Seared scallops with paprika, purple potatoes and basil oil (£11.50) were a riot of colour. The scallops were plump and juicy and the purple spuds came two ways, boiled and as a crisp which added an element of the texturally unexpected! A citrussy glass of Greco di Tufo with its mineral finish provided an elegant accompaniment.

Potato Gnocchi filled with goat cheese, pumpkin, wild mushroom and sage sauce (£9.50) were beautifully light with the richness of the filling cut through by a grassy Sauvignon from Trentino that Salvatore the charming and dapper manager sent our way.

Tuna with radicchio from Treviso came with tasty cicerchie beans and a balsamic reduction (£18). The fish came rare as ordered and the bitter radicchio was delicious.

Her ladyship ordered the suckling pig belly with ‘romanesco’ cauliflower and hazelnuts (£16). The meat had too much fat on it for her taste but the belly is a fatty cut; however she really loved the vegetables. The Nebbiolo red that came with the meat displayed a good balance of tannins and fruit.

Semifreddo alla nocciola con salsa al cioccolato (£5.50) had excellent flaky pastry and the accompanying glass of Angialis Vendemmia Tardiva Sardegna Argiolas 2004 (£10) was rich and figgy.

Tiramisu (£5.50) is such a cliche and I fall for it far too often. This was extremely light but full of flavour and I enjoyed it more than I care to admit. My moscato fizz, a Kabir, Moscato di Pantelleria Donnafugata (£8) was sweet and frivolous which I feel are ideal qualities.

There is something reassuringly old-fashioned about Osteria dell Angelo. The staff are young but understand the virtues of courtesy and discreet service and the food is pleasurable without trying too hard to be ‘on-trend’. For a business lunch or an evening date it would make an excellent option.

Disclosure: The Hedonist was a guest of Osteria dell Angelo.

Polpetto – Review

April 13, 2014 by Adrian Leave a Comment

Polpetto Soho

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11 Berwick Street, W1

020 7439 8627/www.polpetto.co.uk

Russell Norman is one of London’s most intriguing restaurateurs. You may have seen him in his BBC2 series, The Restaurant Man, in which he uses his considerable charm to try to imbue novices in the game with a little common sense. He built his reputation as Operations Director for the Caprice Group and since then has created a small but perfectly formed group of restaurants in the West End ranging from Spuntino, a New York-style Italian joint, to Mishkins, a faux Jewish deli-style restaurant. The beating heart of the operation is Soho’s Polpo, styled as a Venetian bacaro, which launched the trend for highly stylised small plate eating. They are fun, buzzy places with distinct identities and have helped define the London scene over the last few years. Polpetto, a younger sibling of Polpo, opened in the legendary dining space on top of the rather louche French House pub in Dean Street. At the stove was the chef Florence Knight whose food soon met with wide critical acclaim. Now moved to larger premises in Berwick St, reviews have ranged between the adulatory and the average so I thought I should see for myself.

Nestling up to Berwick St market the room is a classic Norman production but on a sunny day was actually rather dark and gloomy…and then we were shown into the small basement next to the kitchen.

It was fun to watch the chefs and would make a great space for a date but maybe not a spring lunch.

The menu is made up of twelve small plates, four sides and four desserts and whilst sipping our slightly astringent rhubarb and rose Bellinis (£6) we decided to order a liberal selection of dishes.

Polpetto farro , Berkswell and violet artichokes

On trend violet artichokes, farro and Berkswell (£5.50) was a beautiful plate of food. The melting sweetness of the small tender artichokes blending perfectly with the nutty crunch of the farro (a wheat based grain) and the caramel salty tang of the Berkswell cheese.

Polpetto White sprouting Broccoli, anchovy and Parmesan

White sprouting Broccoli, anchovy and Parmesan (£7) was a saltier proposition with the crispness of the broccoli offset by the softness of the anchovies and the Parmesan shards.

Polpetto Clams, wild fennel, creme fraiche

Clams, wild fennel, creme fraiche (£6) was a simple, rustic dish, not as rich as if had been made with cream and underpowered from a flavour perspective.

Lentils (£3.50) had deep earthy tones with an added vegetal kick from the sage leaves.

Bloater (a whole non-gutted cold smoked herring) and fennel (£6) reminded me of a looser version of taramasalata. It was grainy, salty and fishy with those notes cut by the sweetness of the olive oil and the aniseed of the fennel.

Burrata, agretti, chilli (£8) had some good quality creamy Burrata which worked well with the chlorophyll hit of the agretti (often known as barbe di frate or monk’s beard); however the chilli was too mild for my taste.

Polpetto Raw Spinach, mustard and orange

Raw spinach, mustard and orange (£4) is a classic combo with the bite of the mustard cutting through the sweetness of the orange.

Wet polenta (£4) was suitably gloopy providing a comforting base for the stronger flavours.

Polpetto Scallops, cauliflower and lardo

Scallops, cauliflower and lardo (£12)-fat juicy scallops were given a porcine upgrade with the addition of the lardo.

Polpetto is now one of a growing number of intimate Soho spaces serving intelligent and sexy small plates. A few years ago it would have been trend-setting and remarkable and it is a sign of progress that that is no longer the case. Florence Knight really knows how to balance flavour and texture but maybe doesn’t quite deserve some of the more over-excitable praise that has come her way, but Polpetto will clearly become another ‘go to’ Soho option- but Russell, please sort out the lighting.

Mele e Pere – Review

February 7, 2014 by Adrian Leave a Comment

Mele e Pere Soho

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46 Brewer Street, Soho, London W1F 9TF
020 8947 4474/www.meleepere.co.uk

Mele e Pere

I went to Soho trattoria Mele e Pere a couple of times after it opened and whilst I liked the space and concept I found the food rather uneven, so I was pleased to be asked back to review to see how things have progressed.
It is a 100 cover restaurant and head chef Andrea Mantovani, who is a partner in the business, has an impressive c.v. that includes Arbutus, Wild Honey, Les Deux Salons, Harry’s Bar as well as collaborating with Chef Giorgio Locatelli.
The joint has changed since I first visited. The small ground floor space was solely a reception area with a window display featuring an attractive selection of Murano glass ….apples and pears (hence the name of the restaurant).

It is now a small bar area with some seating at raised tables; the Mele e Pere are fortunately still there having been moved to a display cabinet.

Downstairs the action centres around the rather sexy and well-stocked copper vermouth bar featuring all the usual suspects along side their own bespoke blends (they run rather exciting sounding vermouth blending events). My grandparents used to drink vermouth neat as an aperitif but until very recently, with the resurgence of interest in the bitter Italian flavours of Campari and cocktails such as the negroni, the rather genteel herbal flavours of vermouth had fallen out of favour. In the circumstances it would have been churlish not to try the house blends.

Both are built on a vodka base with the white having a dry citrus character, having been infused with lemon and orange peel. The red was more spiced with woody elements in the flavour. Both sat very well over a tumbler of ice (£4). It was probably rather foolish to order the Spicy ascolana olives as an accompinament to our drinks (£3.50) because although delicious they overwhelmed the flavour of the vermouth.
The menu suggests ordering four small plates of food for two people as starters and years of extensive therapy have enabled me to obey this kind of instruction without any kind of psychological trauma ensuing.

Deep fried Squid with smoked aioli (£6) came fresh and hot from the fryer with a subtle smoked paprika mayo.

Aubergine Parmigiana with basil pesto (£6) was suitably rich and unctuous.

Puntarelle (an Italian winter chicory) salad with pecorino and black truffle (£6) was a beautifully balanced blend of the wonderful truffle and cheese flavours combined with the crunch of the puntarelle.

Smoked Swordfish carpaccio with a lemon vinaigrette (£6.50) was prettily presented but there was a little too much going on for the swordfish flavour too come through.

By now we were drinking an Archeo (Ruggero di Tasso) Grillo (£26.50), a deliciously herby and chewy white from Sicily.

For my mains I chose Roast stone bass with clams, cannellini beans and tender broccoli (£16.50). The fish had a crisp skin and good flavour, and the whole ensemble perched on a shellfish bisque that added richness.

Mains at Mele e Pere include a choice of side dish so I went with the soft polenta with wild mushroom. It was suitably runny and the mushrooms infused the grain with a suitably woody flavour.

Barbecued baby Chicken came with brussel tops and preserved lemon (£14.50). It came with a rich sticky sauce that Fiona mopped up with her chips. She let me try a couple (any more would have led to violence) and they were crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside-a bit like me.

For desserts Fiona from London Unattached chose the Chocolate fondant (£6) which was rich and gooey and perfect with the dry herby glass of Calem Port (£6).

I chose the Roast caramelised pineapple which arrived with good vanilla ice cream and a wonderful Armagnac caramel (£6). It was washed down with a Moscato d’Asti from Piemonte (£6)-a light sweet fizz that was perfect with pineapple.

Mele e Pere has a self-confidence about its offer that is really appealing; it feels like a model of what a sophisticated urban trattoria should be and has clearly grown into itself. You could drop in for a pre-theatre plate of pasta (both the Globe artichoke ravioli and King Prawn Bigoli really appealed), a four course blow out or just for a glass or three of vermouth and it would deliver on all accounts. With the pricing being very reasonable it is part of the new democratisation of dining in London. It just shows that first impressions aren’t always correct!

Disclosure: The Hedonist was a guest of Mele e Pere

Pescatori Mayfair – Review

January 25, 2014 by Adrian Leave a Comment

Pescatori Mayfair

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11 Dover St, W1S 4LH
London
020 7493 2652/www.pescatori.co.uk/

Pescatori

There are a couple of Pescatori restaurants, one in Charlotte St. (see our review) and a slightly smarter version in Dover Street. They are part of the Spaghetti House group but their menu is primarily pescatarian compared to the more traditional trattoria offer delivered by the rest of the group. The room has light wooden paneling,cream tiled floors and upholstery that brings out the browns and whites and feels very comfortable.

While Fiona from London Unattached and I checked out the menu we demolished some excellent olives and a glass of Prosecco Belstar from the Veneto (£7.50 for 175 ml).

It had a crisp citrus nose and floral aromas and was the perfect match for her Seafood Degustazione Platter (£18.50)-a generous platter of really fresh zinc- filled oysters, langoustines and razor clams.

Sardine Saor (£7.95) is a classic Venetian cichetti pairing some meaty sardines with a sweet-sour sauce of vinegar, onions and caperberries with a pea shoot garnish. It’s a dish I love and this didn’t disappoint.

Nasello (£18.50) was a plate of hake in a deliciously creamy sauce beautifully cooked with a British twist of black pudding.

Seppie in Umido (£18.95) was a substantial plate of cuttlefish in a tomato sauce on a bed of creamy polenta. It tasted very authentic so props to the Polish chef!

By this time we had moved onto a bottle of Vermentino Villa Solais Santadi-Sardegna 13% (£31). It is a blend of Vermentino and Sardinian grape Nuragus, has a deep amber colour and the herbal nose that is so typical of Sardinian wines.

Desserts were suitably calorific!

Caramello & Cioccolato (£6.50) did what it said on the tin whilst

Ciliege & Mandorle (£6.50) featured a cherry compote with almond biscuits.

Whilst not in the very top league of Italian restaurants in London, the Dover St Pescatori is more ambitious than you might expect from a group restaurant and is delivering delicious food at affordable prices.

The Hedonist was a guest of Pescatori.

Acciuga – Review

July 10, 2013 by Adrian 1 Comment

Acciuga Kensington

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343 Kensington High Street, London, W8 6NW

020760333888/www.acciuga.co.uk

Acciuga

Guglielmo Arnulfo is a 24 years old Italian chef from Genoa with an intruiging backstory having trained as a lawyer and then playing international rugby before following his heart to spend the next few years learning how to become a chef in his native Liguria.

Guglielmo Arnulfo

He has now opened Acciuga, a restaurant showcasing the food of his homeland in that gastronomically underserved part of Kensington where the Warwick Rd bisects the High St. Fiona from London Unattached and I were invited to explore the food (there is a seasonal set lunch and a la carte menu) and it seemed like a great opportunity to investigate Ligurian cuisine.

Acciuga Dining Room

The room is cool and elegant in a northern Italian kind of way and there is a rather chic wine store /private dining/communal eating space in the basement that can be called into use if necessary.

Acciuga Basement

We started with a glass of N.V Brut Metodo Classico White Flower, Luigi Elio, Selezione Brjnda (£45.00 for a bottle). It was a sparkling white from Piedmont made by the traditional methode champenoise that was light and refined with floral notes.

Breadsticks and rolls @ Acciuga

‘Grissini’ Breadsticks and rolls were freshly baked with good texture and flavour.

Smoked duck and Rocket pesto @ Acciuga

An Amuse-bouche of Smoked duck and Rocket pesto arrived. The duck had a smoky intensity and set us up for our starters.

Crostini of smoked salmon, smoked scallop, smoked swordfish and salmon roe

We had asked for wines to match the food and with our antipasti we each had an elegant glass of 2012 Roero Arneis Le Faville, Selezione Brjnda ( £9). The notes of aniseed and fennel in the wine particularly suited our Crostini of smoked salmon, smoked scallop, smoked swordfish and salmon roe (£10). The roe were big salty globules of pleasure and the lightly-smoked trio of fish were subtly flavoured with both the fish flavour and smoke coming through.

Stuffed Courgette flowers

Stuffed Courgette flowers (£10) were deep fried with a breadcrumb coating and a delicate courgette, breadcrumb and marscapone filling.

Cantina delle Cinque Terre (£8) is a light-bodied Ligurian wine made from the Albarolo, Bosco and Vernaccia grapes with notes of Apricot and Melon. It worked well with our pasta dishes.

Trofie al Pesto

The dish of Trofie al Pesto (£14) was incredible. Trofie are a twisted and tapered pasta made with just flour and water and served with the traditional accompaniments of green beans and potato. They were coated with the most deliciously light and fragrant Pesto I have ever tasted. Both of the main elements of the dish are of Ligurian provenance with the pesto being brought in from Genoa as the quality of the basil cannot be matched elsewhere. It is the combination of the fertile soil and the sea air that gives it such character and Arnulfo won’t compromise on quality by using more local ingredients.

Ravioli di pesce bianco

Ravioli di pesce bianco (£14) was a very pure dish. Silky pasta with a white fish filling.

Polpo e Patate

At this point we were sent over a couple of glasses of wine to accompany our secondi from a lovely woman on an adjoining table who worked for the Cecchi wine producing family. Castello Montauto 2012 Vernaccia San Gimigniano is a creamy white from the picturesque Tuscan town of San Gimigniano and was an excellent flavour match with our dish of Polpo e Patate (£18) which was another revelation. The octopus had been cooked sous-vide and was incredibly tender and flavourful. The potato croquettes didn’t add a huge amount of value.

Seppie in Zimino

The second Cecchi wine was Valle delle Rose, Morellino di Scansano, a lively blend with 90% Sangiovese that was robust enough to stand up to the umami richness of the Seppie in Zimino (£18). This nourishing dish of Cuttlefish cooked with greens (spinach and borage) had a deep savoury flavour and tasted like something the Genovese mariners might have had for their dinner when returning from a long trip (Columbus was Genovese) to up their vitamin intake.

Salted Chocolate tart

We finished the meal with a Salted Chocolate tart (£8) and a Bellini sorbet (£8). The tart was bitter and rich, just like I’d like to be, and for me the sorbet, glamorous as it sounds, needed a bit more peach in the mix.

Bellini sorbet

Guglielmo Arnulfo is a serious and driven young chef who transitioned from a background in molecular gastronomy to working with his native food. If you are interested in regional Italian food or just want a really good meal you should try Acciuga.