Artusi
Delicious and authentic Italian fare is surprisingly difficult to come by. The city is awash with hundreds of Pizza Express’, Carluccios’, Ask Italian’s and Zizzi’s, where the food is good, honest, simple; but far from revolutionary.
I had heard Artusi, new kid on Peckham’s Bellenden Road, was everything from ‘sublime’ to ‘to die for’, and after its appearance alongside Padella in Time Out’s highest rated places for fresh pasta, I knew I had to try it. I was pleasantly surprised by the slightly hidden Bellenden road, which has a quiet village feel, despite being near a main road, and is soon becoming a top foodie destination - with the likes of The Begging Bowl and nearby Kudu rallying crowds from both near and far.
Artusi’s exterior and interior are both minimal; almost a bit bare. The name is written in small font on the charcoal exterior, whilst the white interior is complimented with beech wooden tables and chairs. We went on a Sunday, as they offer a £20 set menu for three courses -definitely the best way to get banh for your buck! There was an absence of paper menus, instead, our two options for each course were written on a blackboard one side of the restaurant. This was a nice touch, made even nicer when the waiter didn’t turn his nose up at being asked to explain the whole thing to us mere commoners.
For starters, we were given an option of what translated as green beans, covered in a creamy anchovy sauce, or some charred red onion, served with raclette cheese and hazelnuts. I went for the red onion option, which was flavoursome and tasty, if not lacking a little substance. The green bean option was apparently better and set off my food envy nicely. For mains, there was a choice of Onglet steak with beetroot and potatoes, or homemade pasta with red pesto. Having heard the pasta hype, I had to go for this option, even if it was a little uninspiring, whilst Tom went for the steak – we shared both.
The pasta was fine – albeit slightly too al-dente and lacking in the fresh flavours of Padella. The sauce was dangerous choice, as red pesto and penne was my usual pre-night out dinner at uni, usually forced down as a stomach liner with vodka and coke, into a belly awash with nerves and anticipation of the evening to come. Not the most memorable meal then? Nope, not really. Don’t get me wrong, Artusi’s version was perfectly pleasant, but far from spectacular. The Onglet’s flavours were better, however, although the meat was perfectly pink, it was on the much-too-tough side, and the accompaniments of boiled potatoes and beetroot were a little disappointing.
For dessert there was a choice of a negroni mascarpone, accompanied by a nutty crumb and grapefruit jus, or a homemade strawberry ice cream. The negroni dish could have done with heaps more presentation, instead of being a weird pastel wash of dumped gloop on a plate. The ice cream was decent – if not slightly on the sour side… it tasted healthy, more like a frozen yoghurt than anything indulgent.
Overall, Artusi didn’t live up to the reviews I had heard before. It is a neat little venue, which feels quaint and original. You get the feeling that the ingredients used come from good quality produce, and therefore feel slightly more moral whilst demolishing your bleeding steak. However, like so many overhyped independent restaurants in London these days, the food just wasn’t THAT good… next time you can catch me in Pizza Express. Sorry Artusi.
OVERALL RATING: ***
https://artusi.co.uk/
