Pasta for the True Believers - in London!

Every once in a while, I get pleasantly reminded that people with a passion and talent for food can overcome stereotypes, adversity and even the odd cynic like myself, achieving something immensely satisfying in the process. We found ourselves at Bertorelli one night after finally realising that Charlotte Street in London (where it is to be found) really was the most convenient place to eat while we were staying in our usual digs in Bloomsbury.

Bertorelli is Italian - in fact, Sardinian - through and through, but I’ll admit to mental jitters prior to trying it, having been burnt by Italian restaurants in London before. Truth be told, Bella Pasta has left me a little wary of the Italian experience in London. Bertorelli may be “another chain”, but it went a long way to restore my faith. For a start, there are only three establishments following on from the Bertorelli Brothers original. And Bertorelli is a cut above your normal chain Italian place. It is well appointed, with a funky bar, and the right use of low lighting and table placement to make you happy pretty much anywhere you sit. We scored a window seat - though not through the staff needing to make the place look busy - just through luck.

A quick look at the menu was enough to quell any qualms I’d had about bad pasta. Sure there were the expected Lasagna al Forno, Carbonara of the house, and the like. But then there were obvious specialties and rarities to make you believe that there was a chef who knew and loved his Italian food orchestrating things. We saw fantastic seared tuna whisked by; a truly hearty looking Tuscan casserole; a juicy eye-fillet; and more.

Lindsay chose the Fregola Sarda, a traditional seafood marinara Sardinian style, with gambas, mussels, clams, calamari and fish, together with traditional little pea-shaped pasta from Sardinia. This was not your average seafood dish padded with chunks of tomato and “seafood extender”. This was the best of the Mediterranean on a plate. Whole large prawns, succulent calamari (bordering on the whole squid!). Perfectly cooked, and packed with more flavour that any other seafood dish we’ve ever tasted. It was amazing. Lindsay is a bit of a seafood freak, testing and trying it wherever we go, always searching for the best marinara, bouillabaisse, fruits de mer, etc. She rated this equal number 1 of all time. Praise indeed!

I went for the Graganelli Luciana, which combined some of my favourites like spicy Italian sausage, and authentic Sardinian pecorino with cherry tomatoes and herbs. This was hearty, tasty, and had a great kick from the spiciness of the sausage. On any other night, I would have claimed bragging rights for best dish. Even now, writing about the meal afterwards, it is the Graganelli that has me salivating, and thinking about when next I can order it.

We washed all this down with several very well made bellini and a bottle of Pinot Grigio rose from the Venetto. Well, truth be told we’d sunk the bellini well before the food arrived. Well, possibly several bellini. OK, we lost count of how many bellini we drank. But the wine was definitely only one bottle (I think).

Dessert was a really interesting fusion of two classic Italian dolci. Tartufo Nero Affogato is, as the name suggests, the classic tartufo chocolate icecream ball dusted in cocoa served affogato-style: a shot of fresh espresso poured over it. We both thought that this was really tasty, but somehow the combination didn’t mix as you’d expect. Rather than a delicious blending of the flavours, you either got a strong chocolate icecream sensation, or a suddenly-cool espresso mouthful. Don’t get me wrong, neither was unpleasant, and we certainly finished it all. But it was definitely a case of each flavour taking it in turns, rather than a mix or blend. I still rate this dessert highly, as it’s given me some great ideas to try to recreate it. Rather than pour the espresso over the tartufo ball, I’ve been testing making a hollow chamber with the tartufo as it sets, and then decanting the espresso shot into the middle. With a cleverly constructed ice-cream plug, my guests get a “affogato surprise”. But I digress.

Bertorelli
Charlotte St
London
UK +44 20 7636 4174

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