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This energetically gaudy and unapologetically OTT pasta place within Soho’s Ilona Rose House development could be seen as the antidote to our city’s dispiriting predilection for anaemic, self-consciously cool small plate restaurants. Daroco is a big fun room full of mirrors, weird lights and massive plates of Italian food. And you know what? It works.
Channelling the vibe exuded by lots of c.2003 Manhattan restaurants visited by Carrie Bradshaw and her mates in ‘Sex in the City’, Daroco is an outrageous spot, perfect for anyone who wants a big, dumb fun night out or messy lunch. When we visited the best bites were actually found in the antipasti and aperitivo section of the splashy menu. The montanarine fritti were sort of Pizza Express dough balls, dressed to the nines in steamed porchetta and stuffed with gorgonzola. Likewise the trio of arancini, filled with leek and sausage, topped with pecorino, deserved to be considered strong title contenders in the London Arancini Ball Premier League.
Was the pasta exceptional pasta? Not really, but the restaurant’s pizza oven is embossed with hundreds of shining blue butterflies! So, swings and roundabouts. Daroco sets itself out to be a good time, a multicoloured, velour-textured limoncello kiki right in the middle of tourist town. With sourdough pizzas that could easily go toe-to-doughy toe with most of London’s most-hyped pies, Daroco just might be the perfect birthday party location for the overgrown child in your life.
The vibe A more-is-more assault on the senses, perched on Soho’s southern fringes.
The food Big flavours, large portions and lots of pasta.
The drink Wines and cocktails? Wines and cocktails.
Time Out tip There’s a flashy cocktail bar, named the Wacky Wombat, downstairs if you want to keep the party going after you’ve polished off your (inevitable) tiramisu.