Some time ago, I reviewed the original Bocconcino, in which review I concluded that “it’s a proper restaurant. It’s Mayfair. It’s simply superb”.
It’s a conclusion that I stand by, and now the owners have opened a second venue in my home turf of Soho, which is a very different place to Mayfair. Could they pull it off twice? There’s only one way to find out.
Bocconcino Soho is located not in the heart of Soho, but on Great Marlborough Street, at the opposite end from Liberty, and just by the corner of Poland Street. While this is not an obvious location for a restaurant, it is just around the corner from the late and much-lamented Vasco and Piero’s Pavillion, a legendary and high-end Italian restaurant beloved by locals for decades, so there is some serendipity here.
Inside the place looks simply spectacular, like something out of a 1960s or 1970s science fiction film set. Or perhaps a James Bond villain’s lair from the same period. There are curves everywhere, with gold and bronze colours softening and bending the textures on the marble tables while recessed circular lights compete with dripping chandeliers, and a long, well-stocked bar breaking the space between the two seating areas. A bar that just demands you order a martini extra dry, straight up with an olive.
Then to the food. The menu here is similar to that in Mayfair, but many of the starters and pasta dishes can also be ordered in smaller portions, chicchetti. The idea is to allow for people stopping in, perhaps from shopping at nearby Liberty or on Oxford Street for some lighter dishes. For me, these Venetian-style portions also offer the opportunity to try as many different dishes as possible.
We had Addria burrata with baby plum tomatoes and pesto – creamy, tangy deliciousness, wish we had ordered a bigger portion; parma ham with deep fried cheese pastries – the pastries were highly addictive – we got a supplementary plate of them – and a reminder that there is more to a savoury pastry than Greggs!; the deep fried calamari with tartare sauce were equally perfect. Light, crunchy coating, soft delicious squid and with a perfect tang from the capers in the sauce. Best of the bunch however was the yellowtail tartare with avocado, orange and soy sauce. Fresh, exceptionally generously proportioned and with a beautiful sheen on the chunks of tuna it’s the sort of dish that does not require modern invention or reinterpretation – it needs the skill to assemble the parts such that the condiments bring the tuna alive rather than overwhelming it and to use high-quality tuna, which they self-evidently do here. Just wonderful.
We reluctantly, but realistically, skipped over the salads, pizza and pasta, despite some very tempting offerings: artichoke salad with avocado and parmesan shavings; tagliolini with pistachio pesto and red Sicilian prawns. The sheer generosity of the portions precludes indulging in the Italian predeliction for several courses, but just re-reading about the tagliolini and prawns I am already subconsciously checking the diary for when I can revisit. They have to be tried.
For main courses we stuck with fish: Salmon filet with Romanesco broccoli and oven baked cherry tomatoes; and seared octopus with padron peppers. Both the sort of dish that you have in mind for a fantasy restaurant that just serves the food you love. There were very tempting steaks and that modern rarity: rack of lamb, here served with creamed potatoes and artichoke. But the fish dishes worked for us, with a perfect mix of lightness and substance and the flavours of the ingredients allowed to stand for themselves on the cleanly presented dishes.
This reminds me that a mention must go to the crockery itself. The plates and dishes have wonderful, varied but complementary, traditional but new designs and are of a traditional form made by an Italian firm legendary for its plateware and which have been specially sourced for the restaurant. It’s a small thing, but great restaurants are built on such small things. And good cooking of course, which was evident again in the puddings – Tiramisu and Fig and Almond Tart.
Overall, it’s a great place clearly. Beautiful, exceptionally friendly and prompt service, a menu you cannot help but love, great portions and prices that are punchy but looking less so by the day. I just hope that enough people find their way to it – the pizzas would make a perfect mid-shop stop – as this is exactly the kind of restaurant that can be both somewhere a group of friends can head to after work for a fun meal and drinks, but can also provide a top-end dining experience for two. Give it a go and you’ll see exactly what I mean.