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Battersea Power Station is a strange place to eat. Surely nobody would choose to have dinner at a two-thirds finished Westfield, but hey, you might be shopping with the girlies and fancy a bite. Or maybe you've just tried out your first Uber boat. Despite this, it does seem to be becoming a bit of a food destination. You see, Battersea Power Station isn’t just Joe & the Juice and Pret a Manger – it’s got some real gems. Joining the esteemed likes of Roti King and Le Bab is Islington favourite, Noci.
Noci (walnut, in Italian, in case you were wondering), opened in Angel in early 2022, and saw quick success, in part due to coming from the guy behind Bancone, Louis Korovilas. Noci even have those same notorious pasta handkerchiefs that Bancone is known for, taking on a new form with sautéed leeks and mint. Think of its new branch as the more grown up, corporate sister, with just as much cheesy goodness but a little less of that cosy neighbourhood vibe.
Noci is a post-work girls’ night, a date spot, and I suppose a post-Zara-haul drinks night location.
The food is fresh pasta, and some mostly fried starters inspired by Sicilian street food, and the wine is pretty well priced with a carafe option, which is always a nice touch. Cocktails are pre-made and on tap for £9, but you can get seriously cheap spritzes and Negronis if that turns you off, at £6 and £7 respectively.
We started with a trio of fritta filled with ricotta, fior di latte and mortadella. They were deliciously salty and cheesy with a satisfying crunch and even a cheese pull. The mortadella didn’t shine through much, but was nice and smoky when it did. A bitter leaf salad was big and very pretty, and a good palate cleanser before they rolled the big boys out aka the pasta.
Brown butter cacio e pepe (only £10) with fat tubes of slippery ziti, was gorgeously rich but definitely one to share, as the brown butter is seriously sweet. I guess you need a twist on cacio e pepe these days – it’s an oversaturated market when you’re competing with Padella – but I could’ve gone with it straight up.
The beef shin ragu was wrapped around wide pappardelle belts, and definitely more creamy than meaty. It didn’t exactly have that slow-cooked-for-five-hours-in-your-nonna’s-kitchen taste but the pasta was delicious with a good bite, and the ragu tasted like beef and parmesan, in the best possible way. No parmesan sprinkle was offered, I will add.
Our third pasta was my favourite, if only because it was a bit different. Huge, juicy ravioli was filled with ricotta and brown shrimp and was unexpectedly paired with a garlicky pesto sauce and toasted pine nuts in a very Instagrammable swirl.
When it came to pudding, I regretted ordering the chocolate budino, which is basically a chocolate crème caramel. I broke through the most deliciously crispy sugary crust to find what tasted like a very sugary shop-bought chocolate mousse. If you have the sweet top, you need that lighter middle. That’s the rules! I’d like to try the coffee and tequila cheesecake next time. But that’s the thing about Noci. There’s a lot of choice.
Noci is a post-work girls’ night, a date spot, and I suppose a post-Zara-haul drinks night location. London is not short of small-plate pasta, and Noci is competing with the big dogs (Flour & Grape, Padella and indeed Bancone), but falls ever so slightly shy of them on flavour.
The vibe A fun, intimate fresh pasta spot which doesn’t take itself too seriously.
The food More pappardelle and ziti then you can shake a stick at and lots of cheesy Sicilian street food-inspired snacks.
The drink Well-priced carafes, cocktails on tap, cheap negronis and good softies.
Time Out tip Get a seasonal spritz and a few pastas to share – and note that it’s on the top floor. Battersea Power Station is confusing.