I realised, as we walked into Sartoria, that I rarely review Italian restaurants… is there a shortage in London? Or am I just ignorant of them. No matter, because now I was about to experience the best Italian meal I’ve had since a trip to Italy a few years ago.
No-one will disagree that simplicity and good quality ingredients are essential to Italian cooking. Sartoria excel in this department producing spectacular dishes without messing around with the raw produce too much. Located on the corner of Savile Row, the regular smart clientele have no time for mistakes and expect an Italian meal that is as perfect as their tailored suits, every time they dine. Sartoria work hard to meet these expectations, changing the menu every month to correspond with different regions of Italy and presenting dishes that best represent the flavour and culture of that area.
The restaurant is grand and expansive, the décor has a very New York art deco feel about it. On entry a bottle of Piper Heidsieck champagne was popped and we were treated to a glass each… my little brother was accompanying me and immediately felt very embarrassed by his not-champagne-worthy attire (checked flannel shirt, jeans and desert boots). I wasn’t really dressed for the occasion either, but who could refuse a tall flute of fizzy?!
Through the evening three or four waiters attended to us, a sommelier, an olive oil expert, a knowledgeable food attendant… even the head chef came out for a chat. After hearing the recommendations we chose our four courses:
Antipasti/ Affettati e Carpacci
Carpaccio – raw fassone beef, aged parmesan, rocket
Buffalo milk mozzarella, sicilian tomato, basil
Pasta & Risotto
Plin ravioli, sheep’s ricotta, spinach, walnuts, sage
Square cut spaghetti, tomato, pancetta, rocket
Carni
Slow cooked beef cheeks, olive oil mash, confit garlic
Ayrshire rose veal milanese, spinach, lemon
Contorni
Hand cut potatoes, rosemary, olive oil, sea salt
Zucchine fritte – deep fried courgette
Dolci
Sartoria’s frozen fruit basket, for two
An overflowing bread basket was offered to us, with every kind of loaf, cracker and breadstick, my favourites were the brown crusty olive and the soft and salty foccacia. For dipping we had small dishes of superior olive oils, the spicy peppery variant was dangerously delicious. Thankfully I was spared the tricky task of choosing a bottle of wine, instead the trained sommelier suggested picking a suitable glass for each course for us according to our particular food choices. He bought us the perfect matches, starting with light fruity whites in small delicate glasses to full bodied red in huge bowl-like glasses for the later main course.
The food was exquisite, exceptionally fresh, balanced and well seasoned. A little squeamish, neither of us had previously tasted Carpaccio, and this was the ideal way to try it… extra thin with a beautiful tender texture and presented with crunchy rocket, it was delicious. My salad was lovely too, very red ripe tomatoes with a hint of onion, a drizzle of oil and vinegar and a rather enormous ball of creamy mozzarella… if anything there was too much cheese (not a statement I have ever uttered before!)
An additional pasta course was very filling but utterly delectable, my favourite course by far. My brother’s spaghetti was a simple and summery dish with a variety of comforting tastes, the crispy pancetta was a brilliant addition. The plin ravioli (a small variety of pasta parcels) was exemplary… an explosion of buttery crunchy yumminess, I had to fight to protect it from my brother’s wandering fork… and could easily have eaten a second bowl of it. The walnuts and sage complemented the subtly flavoured pasta filling and I savoured every mouthful.
Our main courses were epic, my brother’s veal was huge, the crispy breadcrumbed meat spanning a whole dinner plate, it was delicious. My beef cheeks were incredibly tender, but also very rich and the portion size was just too big to manage especially after the pasta course. The sides were lovely, but perhaps unnecessary additions. Extra thick cut potato-chips and the best zucchini ever… it was all too easy to continue nibbling on the divine slithers of courgette despite feeling too full to breathe!
The fruit basket felt like a safe, light and refreshing option… little did we know we would be presented with a grand platter with eight perfectly formed ice fruit, the most vibrantly flavoured sorbets encased in the real fruit skins: lemons, figs, giant strawberries, clementines, and plums… sitting on a bed of crushed ice it looked too pretty to eat. I felt extremely well fed and sleepy by the time the tea, coffee and almond sweets arrived.
Sartoria offers a very reasonable set menu for those who desire a lighter meal, £21 for two courses, £26 for three. This is a lovely, elegant restaurant to experience the delicious authentic tastes of Italy with stunning service to match.
Visit the Sartoria website to book here.