Italian with a twist

Another Italian restaurant? You could be excused for not getting too excited about the launch of another eatery dishing up pasta ragu and spaghetti vongole. But Cicchetti by the San Carlo Group has amped up the Italian restaurant experience with a novel approach that marries authentic Italian cuisine with a Venetian tapas experience. ‘Cicchetti’ means ‘small amount’ in Venetian dialect. 

Their idea is to mix and match offerings to suit your tastes on the day, bypassing the prescribed Italian ritual of antipasto followed by primo and secondo dishes. Instead, Cicchetti recommends four to five dishes between two people, each cooked to order and arriving fresh and hot to the table. 

But we got greedy and had seven at Cicchetti’s new Knightsbridge establishment, its third in London and 25th restaurant in the group. It’s the newest addition to the Distefano family’s chain of chic restaurants in the UK and Middle East, which include Isola by San Carlo and the nearby Signor Sassi, the company’s venerated Knightsbridge restaurant founded in 1982.

Across the street from Harrods, Cicchetti is the perfect spot to recover after giving the credit card a battering, but worth a pilgrimage from any corner of London for a taste of Italian cuisine with an elevated spin.

Cicchetti’s unassuming street frontage gives way to an interior that comes as a surprise in its grandeur. Inspired by traditional Venetian architecture, the décor by London and LA-based studio Fettle features an eye-catching bar of frothy white-and-green marble adorned by brightly coloured bottles that create a riot of colour: I made a mental note to return subito to sample some of those wild-coloured liquors.

The adjoining restaurant was clad in dark varnished wood, a nod by the designers to Venetian water taxis and luxury yachts, although to me the ambience felt more New York steakhouse, an Art Deco vibe provided by giant palm fronds, enormous Gaughin-style paintings, polished brass and a mirrored ceiling with clusters of lamps throwing off a warm light. 

The place was buzzing but the service remained super-efficient, with a small army of waiters in smart waistcoats and sleeve garters keeping an eye out for us, refilling glasses and whisking away plates. Our delightful Sardinian server recommended a signature cocktail to start as we munched on stuzzichini of Parma Ham and Gnocco Fritto.

Having observed the theatrical delivery to many other diners of the Peachy Blinder topped with a smoke bubble, I wanted one for myself and can confirm that the sweet concoction of vodka, peach liqueur and sherbet syrup more than matched the visual experience of a vapour dome being magically created on top of my drink. My dining partner opted for an Old-Fashioned which was improved, he said, by the unexpected flavours of Maraschino liquor and Averna, a traditional Italian liqueur with herbal and spice notes. The drinks kicked the evening off with fun and bought us time as we surveyed the menu. 

We went in for a round of starters that included hand-picked crab with avocado, rocket, and Sardinian flatbread: subtle flavours that complemented rather than overpower the melting seafood. My partner swooned over his rock oysters from Jersey, but I swerved them in favour of bruschetta with Sicilian sweet Pachino tomatoes that were exquisitely well seasoned in a way I’ve found only Italians can do. Once that was polished off we turned to pasta and the tagliolini all’Aragosta was cooked simply as it should be, allowing the buttery chunks of lobster their full expression. But I found I had to call a temporary halt to Cicchetti’s USP of sharing plates when the truffle and pecorino ravioli was set before me. Too good to be apportioned out, my partner had to make do with one forkful and truth be told I begrudged him even that. It was a silky mix of heady truffle aroma and spiky cheese: just heavenly.

My pasta-related stinginess soured the atmosphere temporarily, but my partner bucked up once we moved onto fish. We ordered a Cicchetti staple, a tender Fillet of Sea Bass baked in black salt with a mustardy salmoriglio sauce that added a piquant flavour to the dish, and a buttery lemon sole in a Meunière sauce (mugnaia in Italian). The atmosphere was leavened by the arrival at our table of a bottle of citrussy Falanghina from Campania that matched the fish course perfectly. 

And here Cicchetti dishes up another surprise, For a mid-price Italian, it has the wine list of a much fancier eatery. I counted about 60 Italian wines delineated by region that showcases everything Italy has to offer. The selection of full-bodied reds included a lively Primitivo Del Salento from Puglia at £45.45 and a budget-busting Domini Veneti Amarone Mater (£346.10) for a special bash. Among the ten kinds of bubbly on offer I was delighted to spot a Franciacorta Brut for £56.65, a flavoursome alternative to the ubiquitous prosecco. 

We finished off this Italian feast with a light pistachio cake that was redolent of holidays in Sicily, followed by a couple of strong espressos that brought me out of my food stupor. The experience was class from start to finish. Now I’ve discovered Cicchetti does ten kinds of pizza, too, including one with black truffle, I’ll be back soon. 

sancarlo.co.uk