Aperitivo at L’Anima, Liverpool Street

Posted on 06/11/2013 by Milly

L’Anima is a design haven, a smart, award-winning Italian restaurant in the heart of the city. The menu, which I only glanced at, offers enticing contemporary Italian dishes by renowned chef Francesco Mazzei.

Three of us met up there for an after-work aperitivo, a lovely Italian tradition of drinks and nibbles in the early evening. This habit is becoming more popular across the rest of Europe, as restaurants begin to cater for guests wishing to just stay for a cocktail and snack. Hidden around the corner from Liverpool Street Station, L’Anima is not easy to find and I felt flustered when I arrived after fighting through the swarm of suited businessmen on the streets outside. Unlike many of the venues in this corporate-orientated area, L’Anima manages to create a stylish and relaxed atmosphere.

The cocktail list is dominated by Campari-based aperitivi, typically strong, bitter drinks with a splash of Prosecco or other mixer. Not a fan of a bitter taste, I chose one of the more subtle Martini cocktails: the fresh ginger, green apple, bison grass Zubrowka vodka, and apple juice present an energising and sweet drink. My friend chose the much-recommended L’Anima Star, an unusual combination of exotic flavours with a dash of Prosecco to finish. This passionfruit and vanilla orange concoction was beautifully presented with half a passionfruit floating on the surface. Served alongside it was a vintage glass containing an iced shot of Prosecco. My second guest tried the more grownup and traditional L’Anima Negroni, a twist on the original recipe using vanilla aromatic vermouth and a touch of tequila. Served in a tumbler with an impressive ball of ice, this was more of a boy’s drink.

I almost forgot about the food aspect of aperitivo. A small newspaper-lined bowl arrived halfway through our drinks. Delicious mouthfuls of pastry with a tangy tomato and cheese interior. It was a nice bite, though I expected something slightly more substantial.

The drinks were delicious and the atmosphere supercool, hopefully next time I’ll try the restaurant but this time it was not to be. We left in search of supper elsewhere.

More information and book here: www.lanima.co.uk

The Commitments, Palace Theatre

Posted on 05/11/2013 by Milly

The Commitments was widely anticipated, selling out the first month of performances before the production even began. A few months on and the musical is flailing, with empty seats and consequently less energetic audiences.

This first staging of Roddy Doyle’s bestselling novel (and later film) should delight the loyal fans and entertain newcomers. The show, though lacking meaty storyline, has a satisfying and soulful score which the cast inject with enthusiasm right from the opening number. The audience watch as a group of overexcited music-mad teenagers form a band, with all the mishaps and mayhem that comes with such an undertaking.

An evocative backdrop by Soutra Gilmour sets the scene of rainy Dublin in 1987. Jimmy (Denis Grindel) bursts onto the stage, the manager and founder of a new band, The Commitments, which aims to bring soul to the people of Ireland. This band is a wild and worrisome bunch that needs reining in. Killian Donnelly is the obvious star of the show, with his breathtakingly gravelly and powerful voice that shakes the theatre with soul and fervour. His voice is so good I found myself excusing his foul character. Natalie Hope who stands in for Stephanie McKeon as Natalie gives a great performance as the leading lady in the female trio of backing singers, confident and strong. The rest of the band are impressive too, playing and acting with equal conviction and vigour.

I was surprised to see that director Jamie Lloyd had not been more inventive with the material. His productions are usually more memorable and striking artistically. With a view to extending the run, interestingly, the producers are removing all profanities from the script in the hope that it will encourage families and bigger groups to book tickets. But with this decision do they risk eliminating the gritty passion so present in the brash original? Either way the score is worth buying a ticket for, it’s not groundbreaking theatre, but a fun night out nonetheless.

More information and book tickets here: www.thecommitmentslondon.com