My first visit to L’Amorosa was so early that they still had the old Lola and Simon sign above the door. The restaurant has now officially been open since the autumn of 2014 and is gradually adopting its new identity. Ex Zafferano head chef Andy Needham works with just one kitchen assistant, cooking a slightly simpler version of the Italian dishes that he prepared for so many years in Belgravia. I have eaten many meals here now and it has become a regular haunt. The pasta dishes are reliably excellent and the risotto is top class.
The room is on two levels, seating up to 40 people in all, with a further eight outside in good weather. The décor is simple but tasteful with wood flooring and white walls, the lighting in the evening very low indeed. As a nice touch, there is free WiFi with a respectable 10 MBps download speed.
The new wine list had just over two dozen labels, ranging in price from £13.50 to £88, with a median price of £34 and an average mark-up level of just 2.4 times the retail price, a bargain by London standards. Example wines were Orvieto Classico Tomaiolo Castellani 2013 at £19 for a wine that you can find in the high street for £7, Castellare di Castelina Chianti Classico 2012 at £40.50 compared to a shop price of £16, and Alois Lageder Pinot Noir 2009 at £60 for a bottle that will set you back £28 at retail price. The meal below is one of several that I have eaten here - the cooking is very consistent.
Papardelle with salt marsh lamb ragu featured very good pasta, cooked precisely, the dish accurately seasoned. The ragu could for me have been even deeper in flavor, but this was a very nice dish (14/20). Roasted corn-fed chicken came on the bone, served with crisp sage and served on a bed of puy lentils. This was a comforting dish, the seasoning again precise, the sage a useful addition (14/20). A mixed leaf salad on the side had a well-balanced dressing, fresh leaves and good quality cherry tomatoes.
The dessert of orange cake was served warm and was nicely moist, topped with orange segments and zest, served with excellent vanilla ice cream. Coffee was a brand called Climpson Estate and was excellent, rich and avoiding bitterness. The bill at lunch for one person, with just water to drink came to a mere £22. In the evening, with a bottle of wine to share, a more realistic bill would be perhaps £55 a head, still very good value for cooking at this level.
Further reviews: 21st Oct 2023 | 15th Oct 2022 | 29th Oct 2020 | 05th Aug 2014
Ian Goldstein
Hi Andy. Thanks for the great recommendation for L’Amorosa! My wife and I ate there last night and had as good an Italian meal as we can remember. Meltingly delicious burrata with aubergine and tomato with a wonderful simple dressing. Wonderful flavoursome coppa dish with mozzarella also beautifully dressed. Followed by the delicious agnolotti with pork belly and my wife’s divine special of burrata stuffed pasta with asparagus and pea shoots,a truly inspired dish for the warm spring evenings. Excellent wines by the glass and a sharing tiramisu to finish. My only criticism was my espresso was served in a cold cup and was rather disappointing. This area is so off the radar for us and without your research and web site we would be missing a top class meal. Thank you!
alan fowle
Went to a Brian Ferry concert at Hammersmith last night - golden opportunity to revisit Amorosa - early 6.30 so at start the only customers, we had the amusing waitress to entertain us. The gnocchi with porcini, mushrooms and butter sauce , the chicken on the bone as main and the pasta parcels with burrata, tomato prawns etc - that actually I had a year ago all was really excellent , very tasty - no question if this was nearer to Hampstead would be a regular visitor.
Alan fowle
Also having enjoyed Andy Needham's cooking at zafferano and having read the many good reviews we set out on the somewhat lengthy journey from hampstead hoping for the best as it were . Need not have worried ,very friendly welcome in an understated way which I prefer ,busy as it was a Saturday evening ,sat upstairs at the back ,nice looking restaurant and incidentally the lighting was not at all dim . Had 2 excellent Rossini cocktails ,,crab salad - good ingredients ,watermelon salad - excellent ,malfatti prawns and roast chicken - both dishes delightfully tasty - and plenty for your money finishing with actually a far better tiramisu than we have ever had at zafferano(theirs was runny )and a pannacotta All good ,very enjoyable
Peter Baker
I've visited twice now and agree the food is excellent and good value - I would give it ££££. Significantly better than Theo Randall's new place in Earl's Court.