Zafferano

Time Out says

Wed Oct 17 2012

Zafferano has been serving some of London’s most sophisticated Italian cooking for more than a decade. Sit in the bar area for a quick bite, or select from two dining rooms. We chose the cosy, serene front room, which is filled with the scent of lilies and decorated with terracotta walls and stripy banquettes. Service continues to be welcoming, although many of the experienced staff have left and the current team isn’t the finished article.

Chef Andy Needham may be British, but he absolutely gets Italian food. Impeccable ingredients and a sensitive balancing of flavours are his hallmarks, exemplified by our starter: a meltingly soft burrata cheese, perfectly offset by a piquant Sicilian aubergine caponata. Don’t leave without sampling the pasta; chestnut tagliatelle provided a thrillingly nutty experience. Another winner is the chargrilled monkfish, its fleshiness cleverly counterbalanced by the sharpness of a julienne of courgettes and a touch of sweet chilli.

To end, the tiramisu is rich and blissful: nothing like the travesties found in supermarkets. Wine is a highlight too, with only the high mark-ups marring a fabulous Italian list.