Regional, Italian, flexible, fresh, unusual, central, exciting, swish, comfortable and friendly. Serves pig's blood for pudding. Is there anything this restaurant doesn't do right?
I’m aware it’s 4, 6 or even more months since Bocca di Lupo was the hottest date in town, but you won’t spot me giving a damn anytime soon. The last time I went, I found the food so real, so overflowing with flavour and creativity, that I knew I had to return. In addition, on the first visit, sharing etiquette and over-ordering in the early stages prevented me from trying sanguinaccio, the sweet pudding made of pig’s blood. This time round I would be dining a deux with Mr DDD, who has few sanguinary qualms – oh, and happened to be paying …
Bocca di Lupo means ‘good luck’ in Italian, but the literal meaning ('wolf's mouth') provides a neat little wolf logo for the restaurant. Tres cute. The restaurant itself is also diminutive, with a bar seating perhaps 15 and the restaurant beyond maybe 40. The concept, if it can be said to have one, is very regional Italian dishes, presented with the region name-dropped on the menu - and almost all come in large or small plates, allowing for either traditional 3 course - or Italian 4-course - meal, or tapas style.
But it's not rustic. The dining room is brightly lit and noisy. Staff are brisk, verging on brusque. But that's the kind of place it is - functional, rather than somewhere to linger.
Dishes are served in the order they're listed on the menu – fried items, pasta, meats/mains with sides, pudding. Therefore our first courselet comprised lightly battered, fried whole prawns, squid and slices of blood orange. This latter a complete revelation - who on earth would deep fry a slice of orange? Apparently, Venetians, and they seem to know a thing or two about cooking. The bitterness is a perfect foil to the grease, with a burst of juice in the middle whose sweetness was fabulous with the seafood.
Accompanying the fritti was a dish of small ravioli Genovese from Liguria, which contained braised beef, borage and brains with a thick and outrageously flavourful tomato sauce with crumbled pecorino. The overall effect was over-salty but silky, pungent and scrumptious.
Next, a dark wood platter of wild boar prosciutto with raw broad
beans in their pods and a generous slice of pecorino. The presentation
was very pretty. The boar good, but not discernibly different from
ordinary pig - the broad beans a little bitter. This was the most expensive dish but not my favourite.
The sausage was a herby, delicate, exquisite combination of earthy flavours. The tripe dish was wonderful - again, a little too salty but thick and bold. The waiter particularly approved of our ordering this, and the monksbeard. He was right.
Monksbeard? Called 'agretti' in Italian, I have never seen this on
a menu before. Our waiter explained it is similar to samphire and grows
on
rocks next to the sea. It's very difficult to come by in the UK and
theirs is one of
few establishments that offer it. It's an absolute revelation and one
of the best dishes of the night. Fresh and delicate though plumply
crunchy, it had a delicate, grassy flavour. The simple serving with butter and
lemon let the vegetable shine.
As well as seeking out unexpected and fabulous food, Bocca di Lupo takes the trouble to make sure that its staff are well trained. They actually solicit questions about the menu, and our waiter's explanation of the agretti showed a fine knowledge and attitude. Everyone, from waiter to bill boy, asked if we enjoyed our meal, or a particular dish. To be sure, they don't listen attentively to the answer, but it shows willing and a pride in the food and service they provide.
To top it all off, for pudding ("of course I'm having a pudding, it's my birthday" - which it was), I ordered the dish from Abbruzzo of pig's blood and chocolate paste called "sanguinaccio" which comes with sourdough bread and candied peel and pine nuts on top. A thick paste like the inside of a truffle, it was sweet yet savoury. The waiter brought it with a teeny candle in, singing "happy birthday" quietly.
How could I not love this place?
Great write-up, a really enjoyable read.
You've convinced me to go :)
Posted by: Ibzo | 05/03/2010 at 08:08 PM
Everyone, from waiter to bill boy, asked if we enjoyed our meal, or a particular dish. To be sure, they don't listen attentively to the answer, but it shows willing and a pride in the food and service they provide.
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