Restaurant Review: La Barca

A proper old-school Italian right in my neighbourhood. I like this place a lot, even if it is a bit slebby.  This is my review of Waterloo's La Barca for my South London Press column.

London’s restaurant scene is ever-changing.  You need look only as far as the Russell Norman empire of Polpo, Spuntino and the likes in Soho, or the hoard of overhyped burger joints to get a feel for what’s on trend at the moment. Whilst the quality of food being dished up at these establishments is not in question, the rest of the experience has a lot to answer for. 

It’s great that these establishments can leverage a bit of twitter talk to build instant demand, and with limited seats available, a no-booking policy makes vague sense. But most people consider eating out to be something of a luxurious occasion: a time when you’re waited on, rather than waiting in a line. Call me a snob, but standing for an hour in the cold before being grumpily ushered to a tightly packed table (or worse still, bar stool) just doesn’t do it for me.

With this in mind, Waterloo’s La Barca is a revelation. The restaurant has sat in the same spot on the edge of Lower Marsh for more than thirty years, and the pristine Italian food it serves has varied little in that time.  Entering on a sunny lunchtime, it’s the owner Gino who greets us rather than a surly doorman, and he’s a man that understands the importance of service. In fact, all the staff here are exemplary.  We’re laden with freshly baked bread, crisp breadsticks and plump olives as we’re serenaded with stories of the numerous celebrities who’ve passed through the doors.  This is a popular spot for actors appearing at the Old Vic and has a loyal following from the nearby ITV studios, too.  To suggest this is South London’s answer to The Ivy doesn’t seem too far off. It’s old school in exactly the way it feels right for an Italian restaurant to be.  Before long we feel more like old friends than customers, and indeed most of the tables are on first name terms with their waiters.

2012 Is A Ham-tastic Year For Cured Meats & Bad Puns

Is there much better in this world than ham? I reckon not. Bring it on! Here, I indulge on behalf of Scout London.

The Italian riverside retreat which throughout December kept our cockles warm in a custom-built chalet by the Thames has found a new way to our hearts for 2012. And whilst doctors might advise it really isn’t what our heart needs, we reckon we’d all be happier with a bit more ham in our lives.

Paying homage to the regional variations so abundant in Italian food and cooking,Cantina is refraining from putting all their charcuterie (excuse our French) in one proverbial basket. Instead, they’ve taken the ingenious decision of placing us on a meaty, porcine drip-feed; taking us month-by-month on a tour of the different products made in the northern, central and southern regions.

Restaurant Review: Dego

Dego is an Italian that likes to do things differently. But it's had far from unanimously good press. I give it a visit for Scout London.

As desirable restaurant openings go, that of Degó was far from ideal. It became embroiled in an unfortunate Twitter furore after a slightly unfavourable blog review spawned public attack from an over-zealous promoter who obviously graduated from PR school before the introduction of the social media module (just read the comments). As a result, the food was largely overshadowed.

Run by a passionate young Italian couple, the concept is a bold one. They’ve merged the notion of a homely osteria (tavern) with that of more experimental cooking and tasting,degustazione. It’s the shunting together of these words which gives the place its name.

Restaurant Review: Caparossa

Here's a post originally written for www.londonist.com, as part of their Dining Beyond Zone 1 series of restaurant reviews. Follow Londonist on Twitter to keep up with their daily posts on all things London.

It’s hard to know what to expect from an Italian restaurant before visiting. They’ll have mostly similar menus and near-identically described dishes, but while some are the real deal serving patriotically authentic, regional food cooked with Italy’s trademark passion, others are a catch-all option taking advantage of the cuisine’s almost ubiquitous appeal.

A look at the outside of Caparossa situated at the foot of one of the stark new builds at Putney Wharf in Wandsworth, and you really wouldn’t know which of these restaurant types to expect. The moment you swing open the doors, though, it’s clear that passion is key here.

Restaurant Review: Bunga Bunga

Of all the year's openings, one that's made the biggest impression is the wonderfully wacky Bunga Bunga. I find out if it's faring better than the Euro in this review for South London Press.

Berlusconi is gone, the Euro is in peril, and David Cameron is ensuring that the UK is increasingly distant from its mainland brethren. But that’s just politics. In Battersea, Berlusconi still reigns supreme and Europe takes centre stage thanks to the presence of the Eurotrashiest restaurant in town – Bunga Bunga.

From walls covered with photos of the Italian ex-Prime Minster to sexy pictures paying homage to his notorious parties which have leant the venue its name, just about the only thing that isn’t packed in is some subtlety.

Ski Chalet On Thames

Riverside Italian, Cantina Del Ponte have constructed a ski chalet for the winter months. I take a visit for Scout London.

The combination of a sunny spot overlooking the river and lots of space to sit outdoors absorbing the striking cross-Thames views has helped Cantina Del Ponte gain its reputation as one of London’s classiest Italian restaurants, and certainly the best located. Come winter, though, few are hardy enough to brace the full fall-out of the Great British Winter.

The masterminds at D&D, the restaurant group formerly owned by Terence Conranand Cantina’s parent company, certainly aren’t going to sit by and watch their most vibrant traits turn grey for months on end. If they can’t bring some South Italian sun to our shores, they can at least bring a taste of North Italy’s après-ski to our river banks, converting Cantina’s outside terrace into a wintery homage to the chalets of Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy’s most glamorous ski resort.

Restaurant Review: Tempo

It's Italy, Mayfair style at Tempo. With a Japanese chef, obviously. This review was originally written for Blue Tomato magazine.

Expectations
 A grand sounding Italian venue nestled in the heart of Mayfair, the thought of Tempo evokes ideas of luxury and extravagance. This is perhaps partly due to the association with owner Henry Tonga, a former hotelier and regular on London’s elite scene, who ran the now closed hotel 22 Jermyn Street. These high expectations are complicated by the knowledge that Tempo’s chef is not Italian at all, but Japanese. Are we in store for a touch of fusion?

Experience

There’s certainly no shortage of luxury on entering Tempo. The downstairs restaurant pulls off decidedly high-end dining in a light, spacious atmosphere that is as far from stuffy old-school Mayfair as could be. There’s an opulent operatic feel that befits the restaurant’s name, particularly in the smaller upstairs bar area, with hanging drapes, plush sofas and a grand fireplace bestowing a homely mansion-like charm. We can’t help but imagine that this would be the ideal site for a wild house party, the likes of which Mayfair squatters and members of the Skins crew have thrown over the years. We wouldn’t encourage it, though – as the food comes out it seems unlikely that any wannabe squatters could knock up dishes of quite the same standard.

Interview - Theo Randall

I talk to Theo Randall, who's the most Italian Englishman I'm ever likely to meet...

It’s after a busy lunch service and at the start of prep for dinner at his eponymous restaurant at the Intercontinental hotel on Park Lane that Theo stops for a chat. “Everyday’s really busy now” he says, referring not only to the obvious success of his restaurant but also the post-recession recovery of the restaurant industry, “people are having lunch again.”

Footfall is just one of the restaurant’s obvious successes. Having become quite an industry favourite, Theo Randall at the Intercontinental has had much acclaim and won many accolades. Theo beams as he talks about his proudest one, winning the title of Italian Restaurant of the Year at the London Restaurant Festival. The award is particularly special given that Theo doesn’t have an Italian bone in his body. He’s as English as they come.