Andrew Kay Dines Out

Zilli season at cicchetti

I hope you don’t mind but this week I am taking you to London and to Covent Garden. I do this because I know that so many of us will be in London and will want to eat out. Over the years I have filed reviews from so many far flung countries in the knowledge that you are a sophisticated bunch who would like to know about hot dining spots around the globe – as well of course as down here in Sussex.
I happened to be going to the Royal Opera House to see a new production of Orphée et Euridyce that was co-directed by Hofesh Shecter, a familiar name to Brighton Dome and Brighton Festival fans.

It was a Sunday Matinee so Mr L and I decided to make a bit of a day of it and have lunch first. At his suggestion we went along to Cicchetti in Wellington Street, there are other branches but this was less than a minute from the opera house so ideally located.
The executive chef for the San Carlo Cicchetti brand is my old friend Aldo Zilli. I first ate his food at Signor Zilli in Soho, an exemplary linguini with hare sauce. Then again when he opened Zilli in Brighton which sadly did not last long despite serving the best squid dish I had tasted in many a year, perhaps only bettered by the squid in vermouth served at La Famiglia in Chelsea many moons ago.
Cicchetti is as bright and buzzy as a Versace tie, all marble and gilt with very smart and very handsome waiters in high collared mess jackets – all very impressive. The menu is all about sharing, a sort of Italian take on tapas – but I have to say, served in far more generous portions than some of the deeply unsatisfactory tapas joints that have emerged over the years, where the word is employed to mean tiny.
Our waiter advised that five dishes would probably be sufficient, took our orders for two glasses of wine that had plenty of choices of wines by the glass – and left us to ponder. It was not a difficult task and as well as the full menu there was a carte of specials.

Mr L had been before so for once I let him drive – and I have to say it was a pleasure to be the passenger for once. I spend far too much time choosing for people. And having been before there were dishes he wanted to try again – thus a plate of rabbit.
When I say plate of rabbit what I should say is boned and rolled rabbit wrapped in pancetta and stuffed with Italian spicy sausage with radicchio on the side. It was brilliant, the rabbit sweet, the stuffing spicy, the bacon salty and the radicchio, braised and slightly scorched deeply bitter. It was a triumphant forkful of contrasting flavours and textures and generous to boot.
Next a plate of ravioli, black with squid ink and filled with soft crab meat, all dressed with a rich bisque dotted with tiny and intensely flavoured shrimps and roasted cherry tomatoes. I love tiny shrimps, I love crab and I love well made bisque, again another huge hit.
Pumpkin risotto next, served in a roasted half pumpkin. It was luscious, velvety smooth and packed with flavour –and that was just the risotto. Perched atop was a parmesan tuile bejewelled with pink pepper berries like an Ascot hat, and smuggled below that hat some shaved truffle. We both raved about it, it was rich and deeply satisfying.

As was our final savoury dish, three large blue cheese gnocchi in a glossy sauce and yet more of that sexy shaved truffle. Are truffles sexy? I think so, which might say as much about my private life as it does about the food.
Our impeccable waiter suggested that we might enjoy our sharing platter of desserts. I wasn’t of a mood to argue and said why not. It arrived looking like yet another hat, this time definitely by David and for Mrs Shilling (look it up!). A flamboyant retro affair, all frills and fancies and very welcome too with a first class pistacchio cake, tiramisu and panna cotta. I was in heaven and will certainly return.
Cicchetti Covent Garden, 30 Wellington St London WC2E 7BD
020 7240 6339
www.sancarlocicchetti.co.uk