Briciole

This simple delicatessen and restaurant in Marylebone serves Italian food from Latium in central western Italy, a region that includes Rome. The wine list was almost entirely Italian, starting at £18 and with plenty of choice of £40. Labels included Torre di Giano Lungarotti at £29 for a wine that you can find in the high street for £14, Antinori Chianti 2007 at £78 compared to a shop price of £32, and Gaja Barbaresco at £247 for a wine that retails at £118.

Arancini (£3) were pleasant, with a good risotto centre and reasonably crisp outer coating (12/20). A starter salad (£4) of beetroot, lettuce, walnut and goat cheese was fairly basic but had decent balance of the salad elements (12/20). A mixed salad (£5) of baby spinach, pear, Pecorino cheese and hazelnut had a well-balanced Balsamic dressing (13/20).

Ravioli (£14) with ewe’s cheese and black summer truffle had good pasta, the summer truffle lacking much in the way of flavour, but the filling pleasant (13/20). Tagliolini (£12) with red prawns and cherry tomatoes was the dish of the night. This had good pasta, tomatoes with some flavour and tender prawns (14/20).

For dessert, chocolate cake (£5) with hazelnut ice cream was enjoyable, the cake avoiding dryness, the ice cream with good texture and enough nutty flavour (13/20). Cannoli (£4.50) with ricotta, candied orange and chocolate was also good, though the outside coating could have been more delicate (13/20). Coffee was very good.

Service was friendly, though the waitresses had a hazy grasp on who had ordered what dish. The bill came to £87 a head, albeit with pre-dinner drinks and an excellent bottle of Chianti from Antinori.  If you shared a bottle of modest wine then a bill of £45 a head would be realistic. I like Briciole, with its simple but enjoyable food, friendly atmosphere and fairly priced wine list. 

Further reviews: 04th Sep 2015 | 21st Sep 2012