Whilst I don't usually write reviews on here, I felt compelled to write about the restaurant I went to last night. It had taken me an age to get a suitably timed table and it was infamous for its rave reviews so I went along to Zucca with great expectations (as no doubt did my companion considering how much I'd been going on about it!). Unfortunately, I left deflated and disappointed.
It started well with us being shown to a nice table against the back wall and then we saw the menu. It was somewhat limited (don't get me wrong, I have nothing against small menus, in fact huge menus fill me with dread most of the time) and if it wasn't for the daily special I would have really struggled to have chosen a main.
While we were choosing, we were brought an assortment of breads and some of their olive oil which was delicious and can be bought at the restaurant. Within minutes our starters arrived, I had ordered the Zucca fritti and my companion had the salami with fennel seeds. The first bite of the pumpkin was lovely, crisp with tempura batter and seasoned well but halfway through the very generous portion I was bored and longing for a different texture or added flavour. The generous portion worked well though as my companion was given two thin slices of salami (albeit with some accompaniments) and was able to help me out.
Meanwhile, we still hadn't been able to order our wine. When we finally were able to and asked for recommendations, they were good. A Valpolo for me and a slightly less full bodied one for my companion worked well. What didn't help was that the staff waiting area was right next to our table so we spent most of the evening with a nice close view of their backs. As they were so close you would have hoped that the service would have been good - not once were we asked if we were OK or what we thought of the dishes.
This is more pertinent when it comes to the main course though. I'd ordered the special which was duck ravioli. Absolutely delicious, I cannot fault it. It was full of flavour, excellent home made pasta in a lovely herb butter. However, my companion did not fare so well. He'd ordered the lamb which was fatty and tasteless. Polite as he is, even he didn't finish it and left the majority on his plate. When the waiter came to clear the table, no questions were asked as to why most of it was left.
The waiter then asked if we wanted anything else, I asked for the dessert menu - apparently there isn't one, they just tell you what they do. Why this is I have no idea and we struggled to remember the list of things that were read out. My companion had the Pannacotta which had a perfect texture (like a quivering woman's bosom) and I'd gone for the cheese as nothing on the "list" had appealed. The cheese was nice enough but I do wish that restaurants in England would take note from France and arrange their cheese plates in order of strength. That way your palate isn't assaulted by a strong cheese and then unable to savour the rest. Another oddity, it was served with raisin fruit bread. A first for me and not one I'll be repeating, a bit like the chutney. I have no idea exactly what it was but it managed to be overly sweet and sharp at the same time and did nothing for the cheese.
At arrival we'd been told that they'd need the table back in two and a half hours. That's fine, I'm used to that sort of turnaround time and was looking forward to a nice leisurely dinner. The pace at which the courses were served made me feel like we were at Nandos and within just over an hour, we'd paid the bill and were on our way. It wasn't cheap either; for the above (and my main was a starter portion) and a glass of wine each, it was around £72 including 10% for service.
Its a shame and I wont be going back, but there are far more deserving Italian Restaurants out there. Santore in Exmouth Market, Farringdon is fantastic, well worth a visit. I'll probably come under scathing criticism for daring to point out that Zucca isn't the best little Italian around, but I'll live.
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