Serendipitously opened at a time when most of us feel most comfortable eating outdoors, Tavolino boasts one of the best al fresco dining views in London, sitting pretty on the South Bank near to Tower Bridge (the sun sets are second to none - have your Instagram ready to snap). That said, if the weather is, well, British, then inside is all high-ceilings and socially-distanced tables.
The river-side Italian is unpretentious and unfussy, yet with an elevated menu using some of the finest Italian and local produce on offer. The prosciutto uses only Large White, Landrace or Duroc pigs, the buffalo mozzarella is from a family-run dairy in Campania, and the red prawns come from Mazara del Vallo on the Sicilian coast. They make their own bread, pasta and gnocchi in-house too, as well as gelato, naturally.
The menu is divided as per tradition into anti-pasti, pasta, pizza and secondi, with some unconventional twists, too. Take the ‘apericini’ cocktails listed up top - designed to be drunk while mulling over your dinner, these ‘baby’ sized tasters are the perfect way to ease into a few hour’s gorging yourself on pasta, pizza and more. The Baby Sgroppino Rosato is a refreshing citrusy appetite-awakener, while the Negron-cino is perfect for anyone wanting just a hint of their favourite tipple.
Start your culinary journey with the lardo and oregano sourdough pizetta, a buttery, garlicy feast for the senses, which will more than satisfy your pizza cravings if you’d rather opt for pasta as a main. The crab salad, which hails from Devon, is warming and fresh, with salty tendrils perfected balanced by the earthy potato and creamy ricotta. Share a few pastas between you, as they would in Italy, making sure to include a balance of creamy and meaty: we devoured the bucatini cacio e pepe, the spicy nduja and pork ragu tagliatelle and the walnut butter and egg yolk with the rather prettily named ‘silk handkerchiefs’. Appetite awakened? Next it’s surely the saddle of lamb with peperonata and spinach sauce, or the pan-seared hake, with deliciously spicy nduja and zucchini scapece.
As everyone knows, the Italians do dessert best, and Tavolino is no different. You can go large, splitting the polenta skillet cake with cherries and white chocolate ice cream, or stick to tradition with a lemon meringue pie or tiramisu. Oh, and those starter, 'cini' cocktails? They work just as well as a night-cap, too.
To book, visit https://www.tavolino.co.uk/
