Nestled in the heart of Soho is a family run Italian restaurant bringing authentic Italian flavours with a homely feel – 40 Dean Street. A genuine gem with a chic interior and low lighting creating an intimate dining experience.
One detail which I particularly enjoyed was the deep, almost steel blue of the plates. It created a canvas which made the colours of each of the meals pop and added to their appetising image.
We decided to start our meal with an Italian staple of bruschetta. I often find that the way to tell a good restaurant is how well they do the simplest of dishes and 40 Dean Street did not disappoint. Fresh and tangy San Marzino tomatoes laid upon charred bread with fresh pesto drizzled over the top. A well sized and wonderfully flavourful introduction.
For our mains we decided to go for two quite opposite ends of the spectrum to get the full picture of the place.
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Firstly, we went for the chicken risotto with saffron and asparagus tips which was a delightful surprise, tasting unlike any I’d had before. The saffron in the creamy sauce was a flavoursome base that hugged the ingredients together, with a gripping contrast between the soft chicken and crunchy asparagus.
In addition to this we decided to go for slow-roast pork belly with apple puree, black cabbage, sun dried tomatoes and mash potato. This meal was an absolute showstopper. The thick piece of pork belly oozed as you pressed your fork into it and the crackling on top was the perfect ratio of crunch whilst not being so thick that you could break your tooth biting into it. The tang of the apple puree cut straight through the flavours and the crispy cabbage added a further crunch to the creamy mash and delicious gravy.
In a city overpopulated with paint by numbers food, 40 Dean Street offers a homely warmth of excellent flavour and Italian classics.