Opened in 2007 as Bella Mbriana with multi award winning chef Rosario Sartore at the helm, this highly individual Italian restaurant has, in my experience, been consistently excellent. It may have changed its name to the very apt Locanda de Gusti (very roughly translated as a place of good taste) but their original high standards have stayed the same. The à la carte menu changes weekly, offering fine Italian food that disabuses the narrow notion of pizza and pasta, though their versions of the classics are also worth tasting.
Summer seems to have arrived so what’s better on a lovely sunny day to have an Italian lunch to look forward to? The outdoor tables at Locanda de Gusti in East London Street were still in the shade at 1pm when we arrived so we gave the al fresco dining a miss and opted for a table at the window. While waiting to order, we were served with a plate of brown olives, a dish of olive oil and balsamic vinegar and 2 oven fresh rolls.
We were lunching on the special offer of two courses for £11.95 (including coffee or tea) and I chose bruschetta mista to start. This consisted of four small bruschetta covered in roast peppers with capers, finely sliced mushrooms, finely sliced courgettes and ratatouille. These delights were served with a ball of melt- in- the- mouth mozzarella that looked like a perfect poached egg, a beautifully charred plum tomato and green salad all drizzled with olive oil and finely chopped parsley. My lunch companion chose the rich and hearty minestrone which was thoroughly relished and came with a fat slice of Italian bread floating on top.
For the main course, I chose sea bass in a white wine sauce and a cooked lemon wedge with whole garlic and pine nuts and my chum chose the pan fried Scottish free range chicken in a spicy sauce of cherry tomatoes and garlic. Both these dishes were perfectly cooked and the shared side dish of lightly roasted potatoes and mange tout were an ideal accompaniment.
The restaurant got busy as the afternoon went on and there was not a lot of waiting staff but Locanda de Gusti is not the kind of place to go to eat quickly. It is Italian and a place to linger. It favours polite human service with a light touch over the slick or clichéd. I could almost feel I was back in Italy!
With the sun was warming East London Street, we moved outside to enjoy coffee served with a heart shaped almond biscuit. A pleasant view of the roundabout’s flowers and locals finally out in their finery, made it a great spot to spend time after a satisfying lunch.La Dolce Vita indeed!