I think I’ve somehow managed to eat Italian food every day in the past week, and I could eat it all in the next too. My diet on the other hand, not going so well. We crossed the city this week to check out Diciannove. An Italian restaurant housed in the Crowne Plaza London – The City. The restaurant has been operating for many years and was once even under the instruction of Locatelli. Now it’s all kept in form from Locatelli’s second in command back then, Alessandro Bay.
We started our Italian journey here with a gargantuan amount of food which for £18.50 was an absolute bargain. An antipasti platter of sorts called Il Supremo Italian meat & cheese platter, designed to share. Quality homemade bread, deep-fried stringy zucchini, crispy calamari, hams and cheese. The ham board was full of quality produce. Fresh mortadella, full-flavoured Parma ham, thick fennel salami, juicy artichokes, creamy mozzarella and thick chunks of crumbly Parmesan. By the time we consumed everything we were already full but felt extremely satisfied. The room had a nice buzz about it too and busier than I expected.
After a week of seafood and lots of meat we both decided on two plates of pasta. All home-made and all reminding me of my trips to Bologna and Rome those many years ago – inclusive of rustic charm. One thing I love about Diciannove is that there is always something going on, whether it’s a half price carafe evening, dinner and dancing, or on this occasion a small menu focusing on the Sardegna region. We opted for the full plate of Sardinian pasta with Campidanese ragout of sausage and fennel. A lovely dish but if I’m completely honest could have done with more fennel and the plants potent flavour actually infused in the sausage meat. The pasta however was perfect. Better still was my ravioli stuffed with fresh ricotta, topped with aubergines and cherry tomatoes – then smothered in a beautiful walnut sauce. It was the best thing we ate during out meal and one I’d happily return for.
We finished on what was quite easily the best delizia al cioccolata (chocolate mouse) we’d honestly ever eaten, with a texture between light, whipped, think and chewy. Sadly it was all eaten before I even had time to remove the lens cap from my camera. The classic tiramisu, layered with thick marscapone was wholesome and hearty – though could have done with an extra dose of marsala to give it a nice kick.
We for some reason expected our meal at Diciannove to be a little soulless housed in the Crowne Plaza London – The City, given it is such a big hotel group – but we couldn’t have been more wrong. The kitchen team and staff are all Italian, the ingredients are well sourced and each dish felt like its recipe had stemmed from not just an Italian mind, but sometimes from a family secret. While it may not be the best Italian restaurant in London, it’s certainly a very accomplished hotel restaurant and one which if staying here, close by or working locally you’d be very happy to be dining in. Especially with the promise of being transported back to the bustling cities and shorelines of Italy without leaving central London.
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