BRUTTO // LONDON

RESTAURANT // BRUTTO

LOCATION // FARRINGDON, LONDON

MEAL // DINNER, 8.45PM

THE LOW-DOWN

It’s usually difficult to resist the temptation to pick at the dripped wax on emptied wine bottles (many candles’ worth of effort), but it’s easy enough when you’re at Brutto because your focus will be on contributing to the ambiance by engaging with your table’s company. And on eating.

I came across the restaurant when looking through the London list of Michelin Bib Gourmand awards. Restaurants score a place on the list when they are “best value for money restaurants. […] The price limit for Bib Gourmand consideration varies from country to country, depending on the cost of living, but the inspectors are searching for the same high quality, wherever they happen to be in the world.”

The first time I experienced Brutto was in August of last year, which made me just under a year late to the opening , but I’ve been enough times since to make up for it. And yes, I know I’ve introduced bias into the equation, but Brutto deserves a review.

This time was a first for something though - meeting Bailey, the resident French bulldog. The honor was all ours, Bailey. Now for the order.

The penne with vodka & tomato

I’m a big believer in getting the basics right. This one is just so right and consistently so. The sauce is rich and creamy, yet still has the necessary strength of tomato in the taste. It’s silky and smooth in your mouth, and the penne bathes in it ever so gracefully. Al dente. The fact that the recipe will be in the cookbook releasing in November is very, very dangerous.

The pillows

Okay, they’re not called that. But that’s their nickname. Really this was the pork and mortadella tortelloni in bone broth, floating like pillows in a salty sea of goodness. Expect the filling to be more meat-filled rather than cheesy. The tortelloni themselves came out plain in a caved plate, onto which the waiter poured the broth at the table. The pasta was not quite al dente, which might have been due to the center-focused pour, rather than pouring the broth all around.

The cavatelli with taggiasce olives, borlotti beans, tropea onions, and tomatoes

I wanted more of the olives here for their strong flavor. This one was unlike pastas I’ve had and actually made me think of a dish my Syrian grandmother makes, sans the pasta, called ‘foul’ (bean-based with tomato and onion, etc.). I wouldn’t order it again, but I’m glad I tried it because trying something new is always a good thing.

The Tuscan beef shin & peppercorn stew (with a side of potatoes)

This one is special thanks to the whole peppercorns. They’re not used sparingly, so you’ll get one or more in most bites. They help offset the saltiness (this time more than usual), but so does a pro tip: order a side of the roasted potatoes. These also give you something to layer onto your fork with the meat. The meat is perfectly broken-down as stew meat should be, and it’s a generous portion.

The tiramisu

I said here that tiramisu is how I judge a place. I know I’ll order dessert here, and, yes, you guessed it, it’s always the tiramisu. A perfectly fluffed mascarpone, 2 layers of espresso-dunked cookies, a generous cacao powder layer…and - and! - it’s not served in a bowl. Classic style, served as a square slice.

The wine

As you know, I’m no expert here, but sat at the table was also a chilled red by the name Frappato, Terre Siciliane IGT Vendemmia 2022, Mandrarossa. It had notes of what I identified to be orange blossom, which could be absolute nonsense to the ears of a connoisseur, but it was a really nice change of taste from wines I would typically order.

Bailey

When it’s time to sort the bill, you’ll also get a Brutto postcard, with a rotation of black & white images on the front, ranging from Sophia Loren to Sean Connery. Another celebrated subject on these postcards has been a French bulldog. Little did I know back then that this was Bailey, who, later in the night (conveniently right after dessert), crawled under the table. Dogs are welcome here, inside and outside.

WHAT I WORE

Levi’s, kitten (sorry, Bailey!) heeled sandals, a bandeau top, and statement deco earrings. I was staying true to their Instagram bio - ‘Noisy. Not fancy. Don't expect too much.’

WOULD I GO BACK

If you’re visiting London and you ask me for restaurant recommendations, I could pull a list together. But the first one to pop into my head has been and continues to be Brutto. It’s the classic conflict of wanting to keep it as yours, yet wanting the world to know about it. It’s food I know enough by now, and I can count on being satisfied. You’ll never find the food lacking, but occasionally the service isn’t consistent, likely due to packed tables (it’s a tough industry!). That said, the times I have had the chance for prolonged conversation, the staff is always lovely.

(I also can’t walk out of this place without a new matchstick box. They’ve been mint-colored lately, but the original was red, and I’ve got the stock to prove it.)

‘Brutto’ means ugly in Italian, but I think you’re beautiful, Brutto!