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Italian craft beer: it’s a thing, and it’s rolling out in London. This is The Italian Job’s second outpost, with further expansion for the birra artiginale chain in the offing. Occupying the space that was once The Pelican and then briefly The Red Lemon, inside is now all deep royal blue walls and ceilings, which would look positively gloomy if it weren’t for the huge windows and light, stripped floorboards.
Eight of the 14 beers on tap hail from Italy, and are mostly available in three different measures. Happily, London is also represented, with four ales on from Tottenham’s popular Brewheadz when we visited – so regularly a go-to brewery, here its Electro Beat pale ale was finished with a strange metallic taste. South London’s Brew by Numbers’ hoppy yet citric 21/11 pale ale fared better.
And so, of course, we migrated to the Mediterranean brews which, by comparison, were stand-out sips. Brewfist’s Caterpillar, a lightly floral rye pale ale, was immediately recommended on our arrival and was head and shoulders above the rest, while Settembre, brewed by the venue’s Italian backer, was an intriguing grape ale set aside for our next visit.
Their snack Reginelle – deep fried discs of pizza dough drizzled with a sweet tomato sauce – was the perfect accompaniment to the beers. And the pici carbonara – made with fat spaghetti hand-rolled in the kitchen, we were assured – was just how mamma used to make it, confirming the solid nature of the Italian side of this venture. Their house burger, topped with gorgonzola, speck and a drizzle of homemade red onion reduction, was also excellent. Go for the beer, stay for the food.