Hai Cenato & the Drunken Oyster

Hai Cenato, as pretty much everyone in London now knows, translates as 'Have you had dinner?' and is Jason Atherton's latest venture. Situated in the increasingly interesting Nova food centre in Victoria and launched in collaboration with Social Eating House Chef Patron Paul Hood, the focus is on New York/Italian food: small plates, sourdough pizza, pasta, risotto and grills in relaxed surroundings and at accessible prices. So far, so good.

There is a deli on the ground floor (which we didn't visit) for those after a quick breakfast/brunch, or perhaps stocking up for some al desko dining. Entrance to the restaurant is through giant tinted glass doors opened for you by sharp-suited staff who wouldn't look out of place hustling a president into a black limo. Inside, the ambiance is quite intimate for a large-ish space, with low lighting (hence, apologies for the quality of the photographs) and a mixture of seating. Caricatures of Atherton's fellow chefs adorn the walls (sparking much competitive muttering at nearby foodie tables) and there is a monthly 'guest chef' pizza from one of the greats.

We visited when the pizza was courtesy of Tom Kerridge; the signature sourdough base came topped with ground spiced venison, Milano salami, Gorgonzola dolcelatte, sorrel and lemon zest. Clearly we couldn't eat here without trying this - and I'm very glad we did. The buzz about the pizza here is entirely justified; the huge domed pizza ovens that dominate the counter area like 1950s sci-fi robots really deliver.

I've eaten an awful lot of pizza in my time, but this was one of the best. Distinctive but balanced flavours in the topping (although, note to self - grated lemon zest is really hard to distribute evenly over anything) and an absolutely first-class base. Thin, crispy, chewy, with a tangy, sourdough kick, this was seriously impressive.
To go with, we were recommended a light and very drinkable Villa Mura Malvasia Veneto, pretty reasonably-priced at £25. There are five reds and five whites available by the glass too, if you prefer.

We also ordered the confit guinea fowl risotto and some satisfyingly crunchy cracked potato with garlic aioli, rosemary and sea salt; imagine serving up the roasties and then scraping the bits from the bottom of the tray. Wonderful.

By now I was so carbed-out by my holy trinity of bread, rice and potatoes that I didn't have room for the planned mini gelato cones that you can get from the deli, so it was straight off upstairs to the in-house cocktail bar, 'The Drunken Oyster'.

The bar is dimly-lit and cosy in a members' club kind of way. We could have sat and reminisced about the pizza with the 'taptails' - a range of prosecco-based cocktails literally on tap - but, though tempting, we decided to hit the main list.

The Cosa Nostra was one of my favourites: a sophisticated mix of Havana 3yr rum, Amaro Montenegro, Palo Cortado and blood orange sherbert. The seasonal bellinis are a refreshing, lighter alternative and the affable staff are happy to make your favourite to order if it's not on the list (as witnessed by my companion, for whom an evening is just not complete without at least one espresso martini).

I'm going back. I'm having the grilled octopus starter. I'm having the gelato. I'm having taptails. And I'm always, always having the pizza.

Yours, with a new pizza pitstop,

London Girl About Town xx

(Da) Polpo Covent Garden

I'm a huge fan of 'sharing' meals across all cultures and cuisines: tapas, dim sum, mezze, I love them all. Not only do you get to try a bigger selection of what the menu has to offer in a generally very affordable way but you avoid the awful spectre of Meal Envy - when, having dithered over the menu for an age, your food arrives and you immediately and desperately wish you had ordered whatever has just been put in front of your neighbour.

In case you've been living on a culinary desert island for the past few years, Polpo is one of Russell Norman's group of restaurants across London based on the Venetian bacaro - a small, homely restaurant more like an Italian tapas bar, based around small sharing dishes and wine by the glass or carafe. Slightly confusingly, as the family has grown they have been rechristened: the original Polpo on Beak Street is now called Polpo Soho, whereas this one used to be Da Polpo and is now Polpo Covent Garden. A new addition has just opened in Smithfield. There are other non-identical siblings - Polpetto, Mishkin's, Spuntino (and apparently at least one more on the way) but I had set my heart on a Polpo, so Covent Garden it was. http://polpo.co.uk/

The Polpo restaurants have been criticised for their reservations policy, or rather, their lack of one. Lunchtime tables can be booked, to cater for business dining, but in the evening it's first come, first served - although you can order wine and snacks whilst you wait. Norman himself is unapologetic, reasoning that his regular repeat customers are likely to live, work or play locally so will be happy to just pitch up and hope. In a recent interview with the Observer's Rachel Cooke, he says 'It does confuse me that people rant and rave about this. If you want to book, choose a restaurant where they take reservations. It's that fucking simple!' Read the interview in full here:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2012/jun/17/polpo-russell-norman-interview

Or of course, if you particularly want to eat at Polpo (which we did), just get there early. We arrived just before 6pm on a Friday night and were seated immediately, so it is possible. There have also been murmurings about the appropriateness of such stripped-back decor, bare filament light bulbs and cosy-to-crowded seating in a restaurant that reached number 25 in the National Restaurant Awards last year. To these people I would say just be happy that there is an affordable, unpretentious, top-class restaurant in Central London where people who don't necessarily want starched tablecloths, starched waiters and the muted tinkle of crystal glasses can eat really great food and enjoy themselves. You're more likely to dine along to The Verve than to Vivaldi at Polpo and it fits the relaxed, companionable vibe perfectly.

Greeted and seated by a friendly member of staff, we started with a Caprese Stack and a Summer Pea and Speck Crostino, priced at £3 each. The crostino was pretty much what I had expected for cicchetti, or snacks; a couple of mouthfuls of crisp base, nice fresh pea topping and a decent-sized curl of meat. However, what I had thought might be a garnish actually turned out to be the Caprese stack. One cherry tomato, a single basil leaf and a small piece of mozzarella barely visible beneath said tomato, on a cocktail stick. I'm sorry guys, but seriously? In what possible world can that be £3? We also ordered a cocktail each - a Limona for me (gin, white vermouth and Limoncello) and an Americano for my companion. These were okay, but not wonderful; having said that, the emphasis is very much on wine here (and they did seem to be training up a new member of bar staff) so perhaps I would just go for wine next time - refreshingly all available in 25cl, 50cl and 75cl carafes for maximum choice.

Somewhat deflated, I awaited the arrival (and size) of the Classic Pork and Beef Meatballs with trepidation. I needn't have worried. Three generously plump and juicy meatballs smothered in an excellently-balanced fresh tomato sauce arrived at the table and I have to say they were superb. Great texture, perfectly seasoned, these were as good as I've had anywhere else - Italy and Spain included - and excellent value at £6. If they hadn't been so filling, I might have immediately ordered the Spicy Pork and Fennel meatballs, which sound divine. The Linguine Vongole was about the size you would expect for a starter portion in a standard upmarket Italian restaurant, tasty and with plenty of clams. 

Perking up again, we decided to try the Spinach, Parmesan and Soft Egg Pizzette, a side plate-sized dish more like a topped flatbread than a standard pizza. This arrived generously piled with delicious fresh cheesy spinach and a wobbly just-poached egg; utterly delicious. Wanting to try one of the desserts, and starting to feel quite full, we opted for the Baked Peach with Amaretti Cream; a halved roasted peach served with a respectable dollop of flavoured cream and sprinkled with amaretti crumbs, a perfect end to the meal.

I wholeheartedly recommend Polpo Covent Garden and will be back myself soon for sure. Portion sizes can vary wildly within the same price range but with some judicious choices this is still great value for money, considering the quality of the food in what can be a tourist trap of a location. Definitely worth an early dinner - oh, and I now covet the cookbook badly. 

Yours, sharing nicely,
Girl About Town xx

Ice-cream worth shouting about

It's a scorchingly hot English summer's day (What?? A girl can dream . . . ) and your public transport advisory bottle of water just isn't cutting it. You need real refreshment - and fast.

As a self-confessed foodie, I like to seek out the most carefully-sourced, freshly-made, high quality dishes available and am always intrigued when respected tradition is gilded with an imaginative, contemporary gleam. Sadly, such ambitions are frequently more than my purse strings can bear - until of course we start talking gelato.

Ice-cream is relatively cheap, which makes top-quality gelato eminently affordable. One of the many advantages of London's vibrant multiculturalism is that we have experts in all manner of culinary disciplines, armed with traditions and skills learned at their grandmothers' aprons in regions across the world, all a short stroll or a few tube stops away.  Here are a few of my favourite gelateria and why I think you might want to give them a try.


Gelupo   http://www.gelupo.com/
Sister restaurant Bocca di Lupo's hot young chef Jacob Kennedy delivers traditional smooth gelato in some innovative flavours - think ricotta, chocolate and black pepper.


Gelatorino   http://www.gelatorino.com/

Recipes from an award-winning Turin gelato master and top-quality ingredients. Try the Breakfast in Turin coffee/chocolate chip flavour in an Affogato with espresso - the perfect pick-me-up.


Oddono's   http://www.oddonos.com/
One of the first to bring real Italian gelato to London and still going strong - flavours vary all the time and I know I should try something other than the pistachio, but it's just so darn good. Apparently Gordon Ramsay is a fan, and I'm  not about to disagree.

Scoop   http://www.scoopgelato.com/

Now with a new store on the Old Brompton Road, Scoop are hosting a Signatures special over the weekend 14th-16th September (see their website for details). Go along, and see what ordinary ice-creams want to be when they grow up.

Chin Chin Laboratorists   http://www.chinchinlabs.com/
Okay, I confess, this one is not about Italian heritage but pure showmanship - although the ice-cream is surprisingly good (especially the chocolate) and the special flavours can be imaginative, it's really all about the liquid nitrogen. Ice-cream making as a spectator sport anyone?

See - you can be cool and sweet at the same time.





Yours, with sympathy for the brain-freeze,

Girl About Town xx