Italian

Assaggi: Old school charm

Assaggi: Old school charm

Gourmand Gunno has had a long-held mantra that bad service trumps good food. Every time. What about the inverse? He and his long-suffering vegetarian dining comrade recently visited Assaggi, a Notting Hill Italian stalwart. While the venue gained a two-out-of-three success rate (just about) on my trio of dishes, my comrade’s culinary score was a big round zero. A return visit would, however, be in order. Full marks to Assaggi for atmosphere, service and drinks, even if the kitchen could do with upping its game.

Luca: Lots to like

Luca: Lots to like

When you’re still salivating over a dish three days after you ate it, then you know it’s been a great dining experience. Luca was always likely to be a success given it is the second venture from Isaac McHale of Clove Club fame. The story here is about classy contemporary food, paying clear homage to Italy but using primarily British ingredients.

Briciole: Make this my home

Briciole: Make this my home

You would be unlikely to walk past Briciole unless you happened to be lost. It is located on the corner of a small road in the no-man’s land between Edgware Road underground station and the borders of Marylebone. Your reviewer has, however, passed it almost every day for the last decade on his way to and from work. Briciole, which doubles as both a deli and a restaurant, has always looked so inviting, yet circumstance never somehow quite permitted for a visit. That was until recently. Having been, I am now smitten.

Manteca: Cheek by jowl

Manteca: Cheek by jowl

Think of Manteca as the love child of St John and Boca di Lupo. Take Fergus Henderson’s nose-to-tail approach, apply it to Italian cuisine and you have Manteca. After the success of its pop-up ventures, Manteca has moved on to bigger and better, opening a permanent venue in Shoreditch earlier this year. Such has been its success that diners are packed in almost cheek by jowl, but they come for a clear reason: the whole experience is very good.

Ave Mario: Big, bold and borderline brilliant

Ave Mario: Big, bold and borderline brilliant

If you have a winning formula, then why change it? Going to Ave Mario is about much more than having a meal; rather, it’s an experience. Your reviewer cannot recall the last time he visited a restaurant anywhere in London on a weekday lunchtime where many of the diners had dressed up as if for a night out…

Norma: Mamma Mia!

Norma: Mamma Mia!

Ask most people to come up with expressions they typically associate with Italy and you might find ‘good food’ and ‘chaotic organisation’ mentioned. It would, however, be relatively rare to see both used in the same sentence. As far as Norma – a new Italian venture is Fitzrovia is concerned – where it excelled in food, it failed in service.

Little Italy: Thinking big

Little Italy: Thinking big

London institutions do not come much better than Bar Italia. A stalwart on Soho’s Frith Street for 70 years, it was the first place in the area to make proper coffee – the Italian way – and it stayed open all night. Many a memorable evening in my past ended there. The aspiring family behind the venture did not, however, rest on its laurels and opened a restaurant next door in the 1990s. That both have remained constants amidst the ongoing reinvention of Soho is testament to their success as well as a reflection of the Polledri family’s ongoing involvement. The passion they bring to Little Italy is abundantly obvious. This is a highly professional venture with top-notch cooking but contains a strongly personal touch too.

Harry’s Bar: La dolce vita, London style

Harry’s Bar: La dolce vita, London style

Say Harry’s Bar to most foodies or well-travelled tourists and the immediate response would be ‘Venice.’ Such is its fame that the Italian Ministry for Cultural Affairs declared the Venetian venue a national landmark in 2001. Part of going to Venice is saying you’ve been there, but now you don’t even need to. For a pleasingly authentic experience with significantly fewer tourists and a much more reasonably priced menu, central London now has an outpost of Harry’s.

Ristorante Frescobaldi: In it for the long-run

Ristorante Frescobaldi: In it for the long-run

The Frescobaldi’s have a long and glorious history, stretching back over 700 years. Throughout wars, changes in government and more, the family has continued to thrive, growing food and making wine in Tuscany. Their first restaurant offering opened in London in 2014. That it has survived 4 years is an achievement…

The Red Pepper: The past is a foreign country…

The Red Pepper: The past is a foreign country…

L P Hartley’s famous line seems an appropriate way in which to describe The Red Pepper. Time does funny things to one’s memory and, of course, we all grow up, but put simply, a recent visit to this restaurant showed demonstrably that in the past, “they do [did] things differently.” We left feeling underwhelmed …

C London: Opinion unrevised

Four years may have passed since my last visit to C London, but it seems little has changed: here, we are definitively in the world of moneyed Mayfair where the well-heeled and wannabee celebrities still come to dine. The food is excellent; the service somewhat less so. For mere mortals, prices remain eye-watering and undoubtedly better value (and experiences) can be found elsewhere

Cecconi: Timeless (March 2017)

Like the cliché about buses, it had been nine months since I had last visited Cecconi and yet coincidence led to me making two visits within 72 hours. Both a lunch and a breakfast visit here confirmed to me why Cecconi remains one of the best restaurants in London: its coolness is effortless and so visiting here is always enjoyable; regardless of what else may be on-trend in London, Cecconi remains timeless.

Locanda Locatelli: Still on top form (February 2017)

In the debate about what may be the best formal Italian restaurant in London, I have consistently made the case for Locanda Locatelli. It was therefore highly pleasing to revisit it for the first time in three years (during which time the décor has received a minor makeover) and find that the very high standards for which Locanda is duly renowned are showing no signs of slipping.