[title]
Camden isn’t exactly short of places to eat, but Caponata is pretty special. The place attracts local office workers who go for good Italian food (with an emphasis on Sicily), served at very reasonable prices by laid-back, friendly staff. The building is modern and fairly nondescript, with a first-floor dining room and a more informal osteria downstairs – where we enjoyed a pleasurable summer lunch. A rear garden is open in good weather.
The quality delivered by the £10 set lunch was unimpeachable: a tart of cherry tomato, oregano and scamorza cheese, followed by linguine with rocket pesto, pachino tomatoes and pecorino shavings. The tart was light and flavour-packed, and the generous portion of pasta showed how fine ingredients can make even simple dishes memorable. The eponymous caponata – mixed vegetables with capers and olives – is rendered here as a thick disc, the flavours well blended, but with all vegetables retaining their integrity.
Another starter, of arancina – a deep-fried ball of risotto rice enclosing a nugget of ragù, served with mildly spicy arrabiata sauce – was cooked with precision. Mains from the carte include pastas and a small selection of meat, fish and poultry dishes. Desserts are enticing, and the wine list (plenty of choice by the glass) won’t break anyone’s bank unless they wish to see it broken..