Naked stone walls, chic bistro furniture, varnished woodwork, old-fashioned tableware, industrial light fixtures… There’s nothing cheesy about Fabrizzio Ferrara’s bistrattoria (ex-Caffè dei Cioppi) – it’s the perfect Italian spot for a taste of Italy that’s good for the soul! Served à la carte the night we went: delicate fried zucchini blossoms stuffed with ricotta and seasoned with anchovies, basil and lemon zest; gourmet ravioli with potatoes and montasio (an Italian cow’s milk cheese), topped with an anchovy butter – or a cheeky roasted meager with tender sweet and sour eggplant and crispy Tropea onions; before a rich tartlet combining silky ricotta and caramelized Mirabelle plums. The lunch menu is also worth considering: focaccia, onion confit, sausage from La Tête dans les Olives and taggiasche olives; pizza fritta with broccoli and Sicilian canestrato cheese; apple and frangipane tart… // V.Z. & D.S.
FEELING THIRSTY? Drink unfussy, chemical-free Italian wines: a Trebbiano from Abruzzo (€7 a glass), a Sardinian white from La Cantina Giba (€35 a bottle), a Piedmont red from Aldo Vajra (€49)… and even a barolo from Giuseppe Mascarello (€290).
PRICE: Menus €21-25 (lunch), à la carte €36-57.
