London Restaurants | London Guide

Venosi - New Italian Restaurant Now Open in Chelsea

Luigi Venosi, stalwart restaurateur, has upped sticks from Soho, to open a brand new self-titled Italian restaurant, Venosi, on Sloane Avenue in the heart of Chelsea.

Front-of-house extraordinaire, Luigi has worked in the restaurant industry for 40 years. Born on the Amalfi Coast, his second home became his central London trattoria, Don Luigi’s, where he played host to famous faces from Frank Sinatra and Mel Brookes to Dolph Lundgren, James Bolan and Franco Zola.
After a well-deserved break, together with his son Gino as head chef, they have opened Venosi - an elegant Italian restaurant oozing with old school charm and hospitality.

His ethos remains the same – simple, quality cooking and ingredients combined with the kind of service that will make you return again and again. Having spent his formative years in his father’s restaurants, Gino cemented his training in Il Cavaliere in Florence and his Aunt’s eaterie in Naples. The result: a seasonal menu which takes a contemporary approach to traditional Italian flavours and combinations.
With everything made in-house from the bread to sausages, special mentions go to salads such seared scallops, fennel and blood orange as well as radicchio, pear and watercress salad to start. Freshly made pasta courses feature a daily changing ravioli; linguine with lobster, tomato and chilli; and hazelnut tagliatelle with wild mushrooms and pancetta. Fabulous fish dishes include line caught sea bream with Jerusalem artichoke pureé and a basil dressing whilst must-try meat choices are hare stew with chestnut pureé and polenta; venison with red wine, dark chocolate and celeriac pureé; and the traditional veal Milanese with spaghetti Napoli.

The integrity of ingredients, many of which come direct from Italy, follow through to desserts which include home-made Parmesan ice cream; white chocolate, vanilla and rosemary pannacotta as well as Amalfi lemon mousse with basil sugar.

Exclusively Italian, the wine list is a treasure trove of regional treats. With over 40 bins under £40 it ranges from a Ca’ Montini, ‘L’Aristocartico’, Cabernet Sauvignon (£23.95) from Umbria all the way to the delights of a Biondi-Santi, Brunello di Mantalcino 2004 (£124.50) from Tuscany. Classic cocktails set to please the Chelsea set include a Negroni, which mixes Campari with gin, Martini rosso and soda and a Dry Martini served with an olive or a twist.

Venosi’s clean lines, exposed brickwork, open kitchen, clever mirrors and vintage photos result in an elegant environment that is as warm as the greeting you receive when you walk through the door.
Proudly Italian, this father and son business combines a passion for food and hospitality with old -school service, proving some things never go out of fashion or fall out of favour. Restaurateurs in it for the long-haul, take note.

Venosi, 87 Sloane Avenue, Chelsea, London SW3 3DX
T: 020 79985019
www.venosi.co.uk

 

New Buffet at Zilli Green Vegetarian Restaurant in Central London

On 29th April this year the buffet will be making a comeback, and by Royal appointment.  Rather than a formal sit down lunch, Wills and Kate will be sitting down to a sharing-style feast with their guests and it seems that, in top London restaurants, the buffet is back to stay.  

Once satirized in the 1977 play Abigail’s Party, it has acquired a touch of class in 2011 and celebrity chef Aldo Zilli is at the forefront of its revival.  

Aldo will be launching a buffet for lunchtimes in his top vegetarian restaurant, Zilli Green.  With a menu changing on a daily basis and dictated by seasonality, the offering at Zilli Green cannot fail to delight. 

Delicious, hot dishes available include:  Vegetable Thai Green Curry, Vegetarian Lasagne, Baked Pasta with Aubergine and Mozzarella and Mexican Chill Bean.  A stunning selection of salads will be served alongside the dishes and smaller plates include; Tomato and Mozzarella Panzerotti, Deep Fried Olives filled with Cheese, Vegetables in Cider Vinegar, Quesadillas, Hummus, Baba Ganoush and a warming soup of the day, perfect for this time of year. 

The buffet is extremely reasonably priced with a small plate costing £5 and a large plate costing £9.  For a mere £4 and £8 customers can take away their food in containers. Aldo Zilli says “ I am absolutely thrilled to be bringing back the buffet.  What is good enough for William and Kate should be good enough for my customers” So join the campaign with Aldo, and we promise there won’t be a cheese and pineapple stick in sight… 

Zilli Green41 Dean Street, London, W1D 4PY
Tel: 020 7734 3924/www.zillialdo.com

Happy Birthday Italia – Spaghetti House Celebrates the unification of Italy

The celebration menu is aptly based on the rich, regal cuisine found in Turin, as the unity of Italy was proclaimed on 17 March in Turin, which became its first capital in 1861, several years before Rome would take over the permanent role. King Victor Emmanuel resided in Turin, and the town was always known for its excellent food and wines.  

Paying homage to this cuisine, Spaghetti House’s menu at £14.95 for two courses and £18.95 for three, includes starters of Potage di patate profumato al tartufo – leek and potato creamed soup with garlic bread and truffle oil, and Gnocchi con salsa al parmigiano e pancetta – potato and spinach gnocchi with parmisan and pancetta.

Mains include Agnolotti al sugo d’arrosto – pasta parcels filled with braised beef, veal jus and sage, and the most typical Turinese dish Brasato al Barolo con polenta – beef braised in Barolo wine with crispy polenta. This meal would not be complete without a Torta gelato ganduja – a layered ganduja chocolate, hazelnut, vanilla ice cream torte, although a homemade Tiramisu – Spaghetti House’s own recipe – is also on offer.              

Italian celebrations always call for a glass of Prosecco, which is of course included in the menu price.

www.spaghettihouse.co.uk

Dego' Restaurant in Oxford Circus Wins AA Rosettes

Just three months after opening at Oxford Circus W1, Dego’, the new Italian degustation restaurant and bar, has been awarded with two AA Rosettes.   

Given in recognition of ‘culinary excellence’, two AA Rosettes are awarded to ‘excellent restaurants that aim for, and achieve, higher standards and better consistency’. The strict AA rules for achieving two Rosettes also specify that ‘a greater precision must be apparent in the cooking, and obvious attention to the selection of quality ingredients’. 

Something of a find for lovers of Italian wine, at street level there is a classy, urban bar serving many high quality wines by glass, freshly cut charcuterie, unusual cheeses and light meals. Downstairs, the a-la-carte restaurant exudes that timeless elegance that can only be Italian, with black lacquer, leather-textured mosaic wall tiles, leather banquettes and stylish lighting.

But it’s the food that is a show-stopper, where the contemporary Italian cuisine is given a distinctive touch. Taking inspiration from North East Italy and from the towns of Vicenza and Venice in particular, talented head chef Dario Schiavo interprets Ravioli di Zucca, Taleggio e Amaretti as Pumpkin and taleggio cheese filled home made ravioli with a dusting of crushed amaretti, and Filetto di Maialino da Latte as Paper wrapped suckling pig fillet with bacon, served with a reduction of Barolo sauce.

A Semifreddo alle Rose – Rose parfait, is made with real rose petals. Accurate presentation and top quality ingredients like the 72 months aged Parmesan, give every dish an intense flavour coupled with a light texture.

The average spend is £40 per person with wine. Dego’ also offers a set two-course lunch at £14 per person. 

Headed by Sommelier Massimo Mioli, who imports 80 percent of the wines directly from the best Italian producers, the name Dego’ (with an accent on the o) derives from the words ‘Degustazione – tasting – and Osteria (tavern) the convivial Italian meeting place where people gather to enjoy traditional food and wine. Now reinterpreted as a modern, urban bar, the concept of ‘osteria’ still conveys the same values of great food matched by superb wines.             

Dego’ is at Portland House, 4 Great Portland Street (corner of Market Place), Oxford Circus, London W1W 8QJ

Tel: 020 7636 2297 info@degowinebar.co.uk  

www.degowinebar.co.uk  

Groupon Restaurant Offer at Monza in Knightsbridge for Sat 22nd January

Groupon has a voucher today that will get you two courses from the a la carte menu at Italian restaurant Monza for only 14 quid (usual price 35 quid).

CHECK IT OUT NOW

The restaurant prides itself on the authenticity and quality of the Italian cuisine served up by the culinary pros in its vibrant kitchen. At Monza a relaxed, easy-going atmosphere holds sway and, together with courteous and professional service, the restaurant feels every bit as comfortable as your own home … that is, if your home is as jammed packed with racing memorabilia. Legends such as Stirling Moss and Michael Schumacher have also been lured in by Monza’s top rate menus and often come to sample the freshly sourced, seasonal Italian fare. Ask your waiter about the fish of the day which is, by all accounts, a favourite among Monza's dedicated fans as well as with big-wigs in the racing circuit.

CHECK IT OUT NOW

 

6 Yeoman's Row, London SW3 2AHhttp://www.monza-restaurant.co.uk/

Valentine's Gifts at Carluccio's

This Valentine’s Day, fall head over heels for Carluccio’s deliciously authentic Italian gifts or book a romantic table for two in one of their Caffès across the country.

Valentine’s GiftsPresent your beau with an edible single stem red rose, rosa baccaret (20g £3.95), handmade from the finest Italian chocolate, or for the ultimate indulgence, order a dozen and devour them one rose at a time (£39.95 per dozen or £21.95 per half dozen).  

Continue your chocolate themed courtship with a box of their traditional Gianduja (160g £7.95). Produced in Piemonte, these heart shaped hazelnut and cocoa chocolates are individually wrapped and beautifully presented in a red box. 

Whisper sweet nothings in your Valentine’s ear with romantic messages written in Italian and English hidden inside Cuori di Cioccolato (100g £4.95) mini milk chocolate love hearts. You can woo your lover with phrases such as ‘your love is the beat of my heart’ or ‘you are the key that opens my heart’. 

Try Carluccio’s devilishly dark chocolate truffles, Ciocclatini Misti (300g £9.95) spiked with classic Italian liqueur flavours such as amaretto, limoncello, grappa, hazelnut, coffee and cherry. 

Declare your love by using Gianduioso (115g £5.95), a chocolate hazelnut paste, on your lovers’ morning toast or as body paint to scrawl a declaration of love across their chest. 

Or, slip a packet of Cuori Rossi (80g £2.95) red jelly hearts into your Valentine’s pocket and keep them guessing who they’re from.

All these deliciously sweet products and more will be available online at www.carluccios.com from the end of January.