Open Tue–Sat 11.30am–2.30pm and 6.30–11pm; lunch only Sunday; closed Mondays
Just as we were about to give up our search for the hotly anticipated Acciuga restaurant, a lovely little veranda with chintz tables and chairs framed by gorgeous rose bushes came into view. We entered the buzzing restaurant (there was a birthday party in full swing) and waited in the foyer whilst the gorgeous Italian barman presented us with their homemade organic champagne – divine. The walls were populated with paintings by aspiring artists that Guglielmo is showcasing and whose job it is to create pieces that compliment the culinary theme of the moment (ie fish, pesto etc). We were lead downstairs to the wine-cellar-come-dining-room which felt very grand and exclusive but relaxed nonetheless. As was his intention, we felt right at home.
Made by an old family friend in Italy with organic ingredients and no sugar, the restaurant takes a lot of pride in the wine list. Created by Vini Italiani, each wine on the list is expertly paired to your dish/es.
Wanting to recreate Genoan culture in London as genuinely as possible, Guglielmo’s menu does not have the conventional starter, main, dessert structure; instead it is divided into antipasti, primi, secondi and dessert, so that dinner becomes a long and social series of meals that are not to be rushed: in fact, he tells us, someone left his restaurant once complaining disgruntledly that the food took too long. Fortunately, I like this philosophy – it goes well with the relaxed, dining room feel.
Between us, we ordered the Troffie al pesto (a Ligurian speciality pasta with just flour and water), cuttlefish in zimino (Tuscan cuttlefish stew), fresh tuna steak with balsamic, and veal tongue. Unfortunately, none of this was really to my taste. I would have enjoyed the Troffie had it been half the size and balanced with a salad of some sort. Even the boyfriend, who can eat a lot, agreed. The same went for the cuttlefish stew, which although definitely represented Guglielmo’s strong belief that all ingredients must be the very freshest, it really did taste (and smell) rather too much like it had literally just been plucked from the ocean. Perhaps cuttlefish just isn’t my thing. Surprisingly, the veal tongue (of which I tried the smallest slice because I can’t handle the thought of eating tongue) was probably my favourite dish of the evening – if I go again, I will be ordering the meat dishes. I did enjoy the tuna, however, which was really tender, but could have been complimented with salad. For dessert, I had the white chocolate mousse, which was amazing. But, like the rest of the portions, very generous and extremely rich.
I really wanted to love the food because Guglielmo had pitched it to us so well and because it was such a nice evening, but perhaps it was just too authentic for my palate. Definitely worth a visit though if you would like to sample traditional Italian food – just make sure you demand a salad.
