italian – The Cultural Exposé

Somewhere you should go: the Pizza Locadeli pop-up (it’s here for a few more months)

Matilda — Fri, 15 Jan 2016 09:45:17 +0000

I went to a pizza place last autumn. So far, so normal. Except this pizza place was a pop-up from the mighty, Michelin-starred Locanda Locatelli – an Italian restaurant that’s earned a reputation for food that is superb, no one would fault you for shedding a tear after a meal. That’s why I couldn’t turn down an invite to check out this pretty pop-up in Angel which was only meant to be around until the end of December. It turns out that it’ll still be on Upper Street (in the old post office) until March, which gives you ample time to head up there for their excellent, reasonably priced pizzas and other dishes. Check out pics from my visit below – and for more details, follow Locanda Locatelli on Twitter: www.twitter.com/loclocatelli.

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What we’ve been up to… La Tagliata

The Cultural Exposé — Wed, 11 Feb 2015 11:00:09 +0000

Tagliata is an Italian sliced steak dish that tastes so good, it’s hard to believe how simple it is. But ‘simplicity done well’ is the running theme at this new restaurant that opened in the city last year. From the artful interiors to the compact menu, La Tagliata’s approach to no-fuss dining with a touch of class makes a strong first impression. The homemade pasta starters come with either pomodoro, pesto, limone or ragú sauce, but no matter which one you pick, you’ll likely be onto a winner. We go for the flavoursome pesto and ragu, setting the bar for the main attraction.

The tagliata arrives with cherry tomatoes, parmesan and a balsamic reduction, and my choice of shepherd’s potatoes (the alternative is roasted) which has a mouthwatering aroma of garlic. Everything is devoured within minutes. It’s not the biggest portion in the world, but it’s a pretty memorable entrée, leaving us with even higher hopes for the restaurant’s signature tiramisu. Unsurprisingly, it doesn’t disappoint, with a delicate coffee flavour matched perfectly with the cream.

La Tagliata is a great place to visit if you’re after effortlessly fine food for a date or dinner with friends – the wines are great, the service is top and three courses will only set you back £30 – win, win, win we say!

For more details about La Tagliata, visit www.la-tagliata.com

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What we’ve been up to… Paesan

Laura Thornley — Tue, 12 Nov 2013 11:55:23 +0000

Peasant food may not be the first thing you fancy when you are on your way out to dinner but if you’ve been following the trend, you’ll know there are no limits to how amazing this Italian ‘poor’ cooking can be. New to the ever-growing peasant food scene is Paesan, brainchild of Anthony Brown of Pasta Brown fame in Covent Garden. Taking up the large curved spot at the bottom of Exmouth market, this place has got its work cut out for it being among a number of popular restaurants, but it has plenty of promise.
On first impressions the décor is strikingly industrial: wine was served in old tomato tins, bear steel coats the walls and furniture, the menus were on butcher’s paper and everything was sandpapered to within an inch of its life. If you didn’t know this was peasant chic, you do now. The menu is reasonably simple, featuring pasta, pizza and a few meat and fish dishes.

Nothing is above £12, which makes a p(l)easant change from the rising prices of budget dinners (aren’t we in a recession?!). The menu features a Napolese classic pizza fritta (yes, fried pizza), that isn’t often seen on these shores. It’s smothered with delicious taleggio and mushroom. We also tried the Sicilian sausage with lentils – stacked high to almost daunting proportions. What it lacked in flavour (and sadly there was little depth) it made up for in its value.
Paesan is a considerable size and the menu is accessible and relaxed enough to draw a crowd. There is also an extensive cocktail bar downstairs with cosy seating under archways: easy to imagine the Islington crowd taking to this bar on a weekend. Whilst it may not be a culinary revolution, this place isn’t bad and could make a good port of call to while away the hours finding your way through the cocktail menu or the upmarket peasant sharing food they have on offer. (Words: Laura Thornley)

For more info, visit: www.paesanlondon.com

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Somewhere you should eat… Obika

The Cultural Exposé — Wed, 25 Sep 2013 12:08:29 +0000

What’s a Londoner got to do to get a decent Italian around here? Some would say you can’t and opt for the plane ticket abroad for unbeatable antipasti and pizze – but as we discovered, there’s a restaurant in town that looks like it’s mastered a simple and authentic approach to the often misconceived cuisine, ensuring you can get the real deal much closer to home.

Obika Mozarella Bar is a contemporary Italian restaurant founded by Silvio Ursini, a passionate and creative Neopolitan (he’s also the executive VP for luxury brand Bulgari) who knows his food and wants visitors to his restaurants to love it as much as he does. TCé joined him for an intimate menu tasting session at his newly-opened third branch on Charlotte Street where he shared his hopes to not only change the way people eat, but experience traditional specialities from Naples.

There’s a clear emphasis on freshness here (Mozzarella di Bufala from Campania is flown in three times a week) while surprisingly, they avoid using garlic, a mainstay of many an Italian dish which they believe can overwhelm the delicate flavours of other quality ingredients, sourced from farmers and producers back home. We couldn’t tell it was missing. As for the modern twist, this comes from the aesthetics and branding: the restaurant design is inspired by the minimalism of Japanese sushi bars (chequered tablecloths are a laughable no-no) and even the name has got an Asian ring to it (it means “Here it is!”). But put all that to one side and you’re left with an exceptional place to eat where mozzarella is king, the classics taste incredible (we’re still dreaming about the porcini e tartufo nero – mushroom and mozzarella pizza with black truffle) and it’s affordable enough to not break the bank on a night out. Click HERE to check out the rest of our pics from the evening.

For more info, visit: www.obika.com

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What we’ve been up to… Fields Bar and Kitchen

The Cultural Exposé — Thu, 19 Sep 2013 10:00:06 +0000

Before summer left the building (without even a goodbye, tut) we visited a great new opening, quite fitting for the season. Fields Bar and Kitchen is in the heart of Lincoln’s Inn Fields, and it’s a sweet getaway of a cafe for those who like their Italian tasty and simple.

Fields comes from the people behind Benugo and while it might be off the beaten track and close at sunset, they serve up an excellent range of wood-fired pizzas, salads, pastries and ingredients to go. If you’re dining in, try the cornish lamb cutlets (a modest main for £14.50 but delicious all the same) or the open steak sandwich (£9.25) with a generous rocket and parmesan salad on the side (£4). They also offer breakfasts until 11:30am, so worth a visit if you’re in the Holborn area at the weekend and the sun decides to come out to play.

For more info, visit: www.fieldsbarandkitchen.com

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Somewhere you should go… Backdoor Salon

The Cultural Exposé — Wed, 24 Jul 2013 10:00:45 +0000

Nowadays, it seems supperclubs are really growing up. From the original concept of inviting random strangers to a humble abode for dinner, these socials have started to occupy any space going in the capital, with the popular clubs making their way on the festival circuit like the one from the infamous Ms Marmite Lover, who’s held court at Bestival and The Secret Garden Party. Likewise, the boys behind Backdoor Kitchen have enjoyed evolving in the last couple of years to become one of the most renowned SCs in the capital. Specialising in Mediterranean food, Fabio and Roberto’s first event started in their tiny Bermondsey flat in 2011, but a year later, they appeared at an international summit for supperclubs at the Goethe-Institut. Now, they’re branching out even further with a brief series of pop-ups, in collaboration with Cannon & Cannon in Brixton’s Market Row.

At the “Backdoor Salon”, you can come along for a 4-course brunch but as we discovered, it’s all about the “apertivo” in the afternoon for £15. You get a complimentary cocktail and a surprise selection of three “Cicchetti” (think tapas) from a menu of six before getting the option of ordering more dishes at just £2.50 a pop. The food is absolutely INCREDIBLE – our favourites were the ouva gratinate e bottargo (egg au gratin stuffed with pecorino cheese, chive, lemon juice, boiled egg yolk and sprinkled with Sardinian dried mullet roe) and the caponatina di coppa (courgette, sultana, pinenut, caponata mixed with Roman coppa and Pecorino Romano cheese cream) – but chef Roberto hardly puts a foot wrong where everything else is concerned. We only wished we managed to get the “surprise” menu addition of mussels before they ran out!

It was definitely a worthwhile experience, but sadly the brunch and apertivo will only running for two more Sundays, while the space seats a maximum of 30 people, so you’ll want to get in quick – visit the link below for more details.

The next Backdoor Salon is on July 28^th and August 4^th. For more info, visit: http://www.edibleexperiences.com/p/41053/The-Backdoor-Kitchen/317002/Backdoor-SALON-Brixton-BRUNCH-27-OR-APERITIVO-EXPERIENCE-15-28-JULY

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Somewhere you should eat… Bunga Bunga

Jane Duru — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 11:00:08 +0000

Bunga Bunga – it can only mean one thing right? Sat on an unassuming street corner off Battersea Bridge Road, the blacked-out windows and red neon signage certainly tip a wink towards a certain sort of establishment. However, step inside and you’ll see the name is less homage to Berlusconi’s babes, and more an exuberant celebration of all things Italy (whether it could be considered tasteful is another question). So this isn’t an Italian restaurant, it’s an Italian-themed restaurant.

If you’ve come to eat a simple meal – pizza, pasta, antipasti, charcuterie, salads – rest assured, the food is good. These are Pizza Express prices but a better quality level. The zucchini fritters with basil aioli are guilt-inducingly good, with the aioli elevating flavours succinctly, whilst the combination of meat and sweet in the prosciutto & fig bruschetta complement each other well and although my companion and I both find it a little on the dry side, it’s nothing a little oil can’t sort out.

Our mains – the Artichoke “Heart Stealer” (artichoke, olives, anchovies and capers) pizza and Tutti Frutti (chicken, spinach, mozzarella and chilli) pizza have pleasingly thin, sourdough bases, and come in adjoining rectangles, rather than the usual 12” disc, making sharing much easier. The spinach on the Tutti Frutti is again slightly dry, but I enjoy my artichoke pizza immensely, and the generous portion size means that any hunger is swiftly abated, though service is a little on the slow side.

But unlike the country from which it takes inspiration, food is not the be all and end all here. Bunga Bunga is brash, bold and slightly surreal in a way that its food is not – twice during our meal, all the waiters stop, do a 30 second dance, then continue as if nothing had happened. The first thing you’ll note upon entrance is the lounge singer entertaining the patrons (who on the night was very good), bikes hanging from the ceiling, the faux-classical sculptures mounting the walls, and postcard scenes and posters everywhere. In case that wasn’t enough, there’s karaoke later on in the evening.

Nowhere is the cliché taken further than with the drinks. If you’re the sort who’s horrified by the thought of cocktails in novelty mugs then turn away now (ours came in Berlusconi and Mario mugs); likewise any easily-offended Italians – this place is pastiche and not for the purist. Attracting groups of yuppie Clapham-types and glamorous Chelsea inhabitants wanting to slum it south of the river, it’s an entertainingly odd place and was packed on the Wednesday when we went. If you’re after a quiet, intimate meal, well, bung-a pizza in the oven and save the party for another night; otherwise grab a group of friends, enter into the spirit of it and you’ll have a great time. (Words: Jane Duru)

For more info visit www.bungabunga-london.com

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