Polpetto - Dean Street, Soho W1

Candle light and tiny wines glasses...

As we sat in the romantic candle lit gloom, staring across the table, I couldn’t help notice the Lady’s teeth had gone black.  She was smiling, happy and oblivious to the cuttlefish ink smile she was quickly developing.  It struck me that I must have the same look as well and I didn’t care at all.

Something about the perfectly cooked cuttlefish with gremolata and the electric Iodine taste of the ink took me back to some long lost summer.  Like the perfect antithesis to the freezing winter night on the street below.

Polpetto is possibly the perfect little restaurant.  Tiny though it is; it’s welcoming, friendly and ideally placed for those in central London for a brilliant date night venue.  The menu is designed for sharing and has something for everyone.

What about the food?  Simple, tasty and quick is the by-line or should be if they had one.  The amazing Pizzeti with Cured Pork Shoulder and Pickled Peppers was so good I had to order another one.  Piquant, crisp and deeply savoury it was pretty special.

I wasn’t hugely impressed with the breaded Sardines and Caper Mayonnaise but the Lady loved them.  The Beef Cheeks with Polenta were perfectly cooked and fell apart deliciously but both the Lady and I lent in for the salt at the same time.

The Duck and Porcini Meatball was the least remarkable for me, good as it was it couldn’t hold its ground in such strong company.  The definite favourite of the evening was the Cuttlefish, with lots more to choose from as well I think a return trip won’t be too far off as well.

With two Prosecco and a carafe of pretty reasonable Sangiovese the tab came to just under £60 for the pair of us including service.  Not too bad when you consider the location but with food this good I think it was well worth it.  Stop reading this and go try it for yourself.