Italy may not be in this summer’s football World Cup, but were there a similar competition for food, then the country would be a sure-fire championship contender. For everything that is great about Italian food, diners should visit Ida, a neighbourhood gem in northwest London. A trip to this venue is like stepping into a bona fide trattoria.
Neither of the (Italian, naturally) couple who run Ida trained as chefs, but the proprietor’s mother – after whom the venue is named – apparently had an encyclopaedic knowledge of Italian food. Ida draws on the country’s wide culinary diversity, although the cuisines of the Marchese and Tuscan regions feature strongly, reflecting where the two leading halves of the Ida team grew up.
What really sets the restaurant apart, however, is their deep commitment to hand rolling pasta every day. Keep it simple and make it great seems the underlying philosophy. Ida’s menu features six starters, a similar number of pasta dishes and just four more substantial secondi plates. The dishes will vary by season, although some classics have endured.
A warm summer’s evening proved a perfect time to visit. The recently redecorated former corner shop had its doors open to the street, allowing light and air to stream in. Guests have the option to sit outside, although we opted for an indoor table. Such is Ida’s reputation that it needs to do two sittings. The first round of diners was leaving just as we arrived at around 8pm. It was a wrench leaving at 11pm.
Proceedings kicked off with a negroni, which proved highly satisfying, if not outstanding. For starters, my dining comrade and I opted to share a crab salad and a panzanella plate. The latter (pictured) comprised a perfect combination of vine tomatoes, sourdough crostini, capers, olives, basil and mozzarella. Each element worked as a foil to the next, creating a dish of effortless harmony. Mains saw Ida go up a gear. A photograph of my tagliatelle al ragu marchigiano would not do it justice. Nor would the menu’s description, which highlights how the pasta is accompanied by a “slow-cooked beef, pork and chicken ragu.” Flavour intensity bordered on the insane, rich and highly comforting. Eating this felt like coming home to your nonna’s (gran’s) cooking.
Not everything was perfect. Service was a touch haphazard, with it being hard to catch people’s attention. Our wine arrived at the wrong temperature and only began to work after extensive chilling. But to be generous, and despite the serving staff all being British, the vibe felt somewhat ‘Italian’, or - dare it be said – charming bordering on the slightly chaotic. We will be back though. Ida will certainly be in the running for Gourmand Gunno’s top neighbourhood restaurant of the year.