Cucina
- 020 7435 7814
- South End Road (map of this place)
- NW3 2QB
- Nearby Tube Stops: [Belsize Park]?
Above (well to the side if I am honest) a food shop, this popular restaurant has an unusual entrance. Once inside you find yourself in a well designed and trendy eatery. There is a really pleasant bustling atmosphere (although some may find this a little noisy). The staff are very friendly. Upon sitting we were treated to some fantastic home made bread (so good we asked for another serving), the walnut and date was particularly memorable. The menu appears to be special for everyday (at least it is printed everyday). For starters we had one of everything. Tiger Prawn Risotto this was spicy with ginger and chilli with perfectly cooked rice and shiitake. The ricotta and pine nut terrine was light and tasty. The smoked haddock rarebit and leek flan were also delicious. For the main courses, we selected Cajun Cod with squid ink mash and a tomato salsa. The salsa was really intense and the cod melting tender almost to the point of being undercooked. The squid ink mash tasted just like normal mash (but it was disconcertingly black... presumably for visual impact). The salmon with fettucine was equally well received as was the lamb with mediterranean vegetables. The high point of the meal was the fantastic house white wine, a bottle of Jourot Sauvignon Blanc from the Pay d'Oc; this had some of the best steely qualities of new-world sauvignon whilst maintaining some fruity-ness and fragrance and at �11.95 was a absolute bargain.
I think we'll be coming back here again.