Restaurants

Eco has seen little reason to change the decor or dishes on its menu for the last decade or more. But the mid 1990s trend for hard surfaces (in this case created from wavy plywood, solid-looking walls and wooden flooring) still creates terrible acoustics, not helped by the choice of music barely having changed in that time either (slightly too much 1980s R&B on our 2007 visit). The pizzas are still fine, though, with a 12-incher costing between £5.90 and £9.90. Eco’s real problem is that since it opened in 1993, standards have soared elsewhere; its pizzas now seem little better than a supermarket’s ‘classy’ range. Calzone tradizionale was a whopper, but the ingredients in both this and a napoletana were just so-so. Other dishes cover the expected bases: antipasti, bread, pasta, folded pizza-bread sandwiches, oven-baked or grilled dishes, side salads and some desserts including tiramisu, which seemed so cutting edge when we reviewed Eco in 1993. It’s still on the menu (£4.75 instead of £2.10), and we still think it’s a bit too light.

Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2008