What They Say
Inspired by the elegance of Europe’s famous grand cafés, experience Italy’s greatest treasures at 3a Electric Boulevard, right next to London Battersea Power Station. Bringing together incredible Italian produce, Venetian casual dining traditions and the theatre of European grand cafes with menus for every occasion.
The Style
The restaurant is beautifully lit and upholstered its connection with the Art’otel means it’s positively teeming with pieces of art, so much so, it feels a little like a gallery and that’s no bad thing. The booth seating is comfortable and intimate. Kandinsky-esque shapes hang from the ceiling and a beautiful terrazzo wall peaks through from the hotel reception beyond double doors.
The Drink
While the restaurant boasts a beautiful cocktail bar – it’s a week night so we head straight for a carafe of deliciously fruity Italian red, which only improves as the evening goes on.
The Food
The burrata is molto cremoso and served upon a bed of slightly sweet, slightly al dente caponata sprinkled with basil and celery leaves. It’s an excellent combination, particularly when scooped onto a slice of their crisp and doughy focaccia.
The veal escalope is well-cooked and shrouded in light and crispy breadcrumbs. The sides are perfect; garlicky spinach that isn’t at all watery and the Tozi signature chips are a kind of potato millefeuille, sliced and deep fried.
For dessert, it has to be the tiramisu. I am a firm believer that we are all assigned a quest at birth, Lewis Hamilton’s was to have the most wins in Formula 1 history, Fridah Kahlo’s was to paint self-portraits and never pluck her eyebrows and my mission (arduous as it might sound) is to locate the world’s best tiramisu. And I have to report that whilst this isn’t it, it’s really very good. It’s structurally sound, boozy and arrives dusted in rich cocoa and sprinkled with emerald green pistachios.
The Crowd
Firstly, I should point out that it’s very busy for a weeknight at the end of February. The diners seem to be a mixture of guests from the Art’otel, weary shoppers from the newly refurbished Power Station and countless residents from the enormous new apartment complex that surrounds the new development.
In a Nutshell
There’s every possibility that Tozi could become the go-to for consistent, affordable Italian food in a market where Jamie’s Italian has failed. Well cooked, well sourced Italian fare never seems to go out of style and their branded crockery seems to hint at ambitions beyond their current two branches in Victoria and Battersea.
The Details
TOZI Grand Cafe, 3a Electric Boulevard, London SW11 8BJ
