Tag Archives: Italian

Evoluzione, Xenia Hotel, South Kensington

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Located inside the Victorian restored building now home to Hotel Xenia, Evoluzione restaurant offers Italian food with a healthy twist. The light and airy conservatory is the ideal space for a restaurant, it is just a shame that the roaring main road is right outside. On a weekday evening the restaurant could have been quite cosy, but aside from one other table we were the only guests. The staff seemed eager to remain occupied happily rushing about to make sure we had everything we needed.

Chef Pasquale D’Ambrosio heads up the team in the kitchen; on the restaurant floor professional nutritionist Dr. Chiara Manzi hovered ready to answer any dietary questions we had about the menu. In fact, we found we had none, the menu fully explains the concept and the methods of cooking used to achieve the ‘art joins nutrition’ idea.

“Cucina Evoluzione is a new food culture in which pleasure and wellbeing, art and science, creativity and technology harmonise to give an elixir of long life.” We have all seen the inspiring Olive Oil adverts associated with a healthy Italian way of life, but the restaurant concept seems new and exciting. I greedily wondered how much pasta I could eat here and still classify the meal as healthy!

Each dish is carefully described with the method of preparation and the precision used to create it. We tried Violet ravioli with stewed sea bass and dried tomatoes… the colour of the ravioli is provided by a special variety of potatoes which are rich in polyphenols which is heart-friendly and contributes to a long life. Low temperature cooked ostrich meat was lean and apparently contains iron and a kick of Omega-3. Every dish has a story to tell, but I must be honest it wasn’t as tasty as I hoped and it certainly isn’t as satisfying as a big bowl of Spaghetti carbonara.

It was the fresh and vibrantly flavoured starters that were our favourite: Aubergine millefeuille with buffalo mozzarella, caramelised onions, sun-dried tomato and basil was really delicious, perfectly cooked and wonderfully seasoned. The Mozzarella slices with courgette flowers, candied roasted cherry tomatoes, Batavian endive, red onion and peas in almond milk was good too and we were delighted to hear it was beneficial to the skin.

Desserts were interesting – an Evoluzione tiramisu tasted far too creamy to be healthy, and we had fun dissecting the fruit rubik cube! However at £11 each I don’t think they are really worth splashing out on.

I’m afraid to say that Evoluzione, although equipped with friendly staff and good intentions, is a case of a winning idea which just doesn’t translate into a great meal.

More information here.

Tuscanic, Soho

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This restaurant is a Tuscan haven for Italian lovers and foodie fanatics. It is a simple and easy concept exhibiting Tuscany’s best culinary offerings. Located on Old Compton Street in the heart of Soho, this new little cafe-bar offers a select menu of cheese, meat and bread based treats.

Our chirpy waitress was keen for us to try all of her suggestions. I expected to hate the lukewarm ‘bread soup’, a recipe made with a base of tomato-soaked breadcrumbs, but it was strangely tasty. The onion and caper recipe was less delicious but an obvious attraction for French onion soup fans. It is the antipasti type boards that are most appealing at Tuscanic. A wonderful spread of fresh cheeses and fennel infused soft salami that worked well with the focaccia bread and bottle of Italian olive oil on the table. The properly made macchiatos were divine and the gluten free chocolate torte was a big hit with my sweet toothed guest. The wine list exceeded all our expectations – a light white and a classic Chianti, both were divine and very drinkable.

Tuscanic is less of a restaurant more of a wine bar cafe, perfect for an early evening snack and glass of wine away from the noise and mayhem of Soho. A proudly passionate place for all things Tuscany.

More information here.

www.tuscanic.com

Four Seasons Park Lane Spa and Restaurant Amaranto

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I have ticked off many Four Seasons establishments abroad from my to-visit list and yet the hotel closest to home remained a mystery to me. Park Lane is lined with swanky hotels attracting businessmen and tourists… hidden just behind these obvious choices on Hamilton Place is the Four Seasons. Less ostentatious with a restrained luxury, this hotel is for guests desiring splendour without wishing to show off about it… definitely my favourite kind of central city accommodation.

As much as I was tempted to look round the rooms and admire the stylish classic design, I resisted in favour of the spa. Up in the lift to the tenth floor, the spa at this Four Seasons is certainly one of a kind, offering a light and lavish rooftop sanctuary that includes the spa, lounge and fitness centre. The fabulous London skyline surrounds the building and a different view is available in every room. Up here it is miraculously calm and peaceful, you can’t hear the cars below nor the chatter from the lobby. It made me ponder why so many hotels shove their spas in the basement, light and elevation brings a natural serenity that instantly refreshes you, especially if you are a busy Londoner wishing for some time out.

There are nine treatment rooms, vitality pools, steam rooms and saunas for hotel and spa guests to enjoy. After my tour I would have been very happy just to hang out up here and read a magazine, but I was lucky enough to be booked in for a personalised facial. Guests are given a cup of tea and cleansing flannel before treatments and asked to change into soft fluffy white robes. The changing rooms are like a beauty parlour with every toiletry you could need.

It was perhaps the best facial I’ve ever had, and it doesn’t surprise me to hear it is one of the most popular on offer here. The therapist really homed in on what was needed for my skin rather than demanding I try something particular. The curtains closed, the lights dimmed and I lay on a soft warm bed ready to be pampered. After a deep cleanse, exfoliation and extraction, relaxing massage and specialised mask, I felt fresh, radiant and youthful. ESPA products were used, and my therapist allowed me to pick out my favourite scents for the facial. To complete the treatment, my scalp was massaged with an enriching Moroccan oil treatment, to correct scalp skin imbalances and relieve tension and stress. It was relaxing and my hair was left with a lustrous shine and silky softness.

I got back in the lift to travel back down to the ground floor for an Italian dinner in Amaranto. It was a feast… spotting most of my favourite Italian dishes on the menu I had to opt for four courses, which in retrospect was perhaps a little greedy! After some crumbly 24 month aged Parmesan to nibble on with our Prosecco we chose starters, as advised by our waiter: flavoursome Culatello DOP with a traditional Gnocco Fritto and Burrata with smoked Tuscan tomatoes. It was the Burrata’s addictively creamy taste and texture that led me to almost lick the plate clean.

Homemade pastas are available in two sizes: both the ravioli with ricotta and spinach and the rigatoni carbonara with crispy cured pork jowl were delicious, light and simple with fresh ingredients and vibrant flavour. The meat course came next and I would say, if you are toying with the idea of pasta vs meat, go for pasta in the summer months. Crispy pork belly arrived with glazed carrots, peas and fresh marjoram. Balsamic glazed beef fillet with smoked aubergine and wilted spinach was the ideal man’s meal, rich and heavy, and it went down well with my guest.

If you can manage dessert, I’d stick with something simple, though the six miniatures did tempt me the tiramisu won me over eventually. It was huge, really far too big, which was a shame because it looked beautiful and tasted good but I just felt overwhelmed by the whole thing.

We left the Four Seasons fully satisfied. My experiences here prove this hotel is much more than just luxury accommodation and spa, it also has a restaurant really worth visiting.

More information and book here.