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PChef Manolo Costa (left) with owners Anita Prina and
Giampaolo Prina |
Italian meal fit for a cardinal
I HAVE been wanting to eat in this restaurant for many years.
The reason being that for an Italian restaurant it could not
be better placed.
Sicilian Avenue is picturesque and so Italian looking in
this very English area of Holborn close to the Aldwych, Drury
Lane and Peacock Theatres.
A warm welcome awaited us and we were able to choose a well-positioned
table (No 6) although it was in the smoking sector. You know
it is good before you get to your table; the other patrons look
content with their lot and the staff look the same.
This I find when the owner is present so I assumed Jean Paolo
and his wife were the owners. Instead they are the managers.
Anita and her husband met 37 years ago when they worked together
at the Spaghetti House near Harrods. While the company celebrates
50 years, they have now been together in Sicilian Avenue since
1972.
My friend Agustin could not be tempted by any of the bruschette
(crab, olive oil, lemon, fresh chilli and garlic (£4.95)
or chopped tomatoes, or sautéed mushrooms – not
even by the Gamberoni Saltati (butterfly king prawns sprinkled
with salt & pepper and pan fried £7.50).
However he praised the bread and butter (£1.55) while
I enjoyed the fish soup which was truly excellent (£4.95).
For a main course we had the Pesce Bianco Olio d’ Oliva
e Peperoncino (pan-fried halibut brushed with olive oil fresh
chilli & garlic £10.80) and the Bistecca d’Agnello
al Rosmarino (pan-fried lamb steak with white wine & fresh
rosemary £11.95) which I chose to have with Spinach (£1.80)
although a mezzo Fettuccine all’Alfredo (cream, garlic
and parmesan cheese) would have also been a good choice.
There is a large selection of pasta with homemade sauces, pizzas
and as Spaghetti House describe themselves as Caffé-Ristorante
they serve from noon-4pm toasted sandwiches with a side salad
(smoked salmon £4.95, Bel paese and ham £4.95, Mozzarella
anchovies and tomatoes £4.95, 130 gram Minute steak with
grain mustard £7.50.
The exhibition kitchen in the middle of the ground floor lent
itself to asking if the chef could prepare my favourite of all
favourites – Zabaglione. Assistant Chef Alexander obliged
gladly and two magnificent glasses of the frothy mixture of
egg yolks and Marsala were brought by Jean Paolo with the announcement:
“Boccato di Cardinale” – a meal fit for a Cardinal.
And indeed it was.
The Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Umani Ronchi Doc le Marche
2004 was an excellent choice by the restaurant to have as their
second house wine. At £13.50 it was very good value –
you would normally see this wine at a much higher price on most
menus. We were offered a chilled liqueur glass of Limoncello
with our coffee.
Spaghetti House have nine locations in London and if they are
all as good as their branch in Sicilian Avenue they deserve
a visit.
Spaghetti House
20 Sicilian Avenue, WC1
020 7405 5215 |
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