Negroni’s Review
On a Saturday evening in Soho, everywhere is full. Wandering around without a booking seems hopeless which is why when, being certain to hear a negative answer, I entered Negroni’s on Frith Street. The opposite happened and we were pleasantly surprised, finding ourselves in this restaurant which name truly rang a bell.
Sitting by the window, the lights were dim, but we still have enough light to read the menu and order cocktails promptly.
In a restaurant named Negroni’s, one must try the house cocktail, which turned out to be, as my Negroni connoisseur friend called it “a damn good Negroni.”
The other cocktails, whether they were Bergamot Margaritas (classic Tommy’s Margaritas with the addition of Italicus Bergamot liquor) or Hugo (Prosecco, Elderflower liqueur, Soda water), were a nice refreshing touch to start the evening with.
The largest part of the menu and the one we focus on is a selection of small plates they call Italian tapas. As I love both traditional Italian antipasti and classic Spanish tapas, the concept felt, not only appealing but like an original option for a shared meal with friends.
Arancini di Porcini - £7
The meal started with arancini di porcini, a Sicilian delicacy, which was perfectly interpreted, crusty but still cheesy inside. Generally, you cannot go wrong with arancini, and they did not, served with a simple marinara sauce which brought the dish together.
Pasta Fritta - £8
Prior to visiting Negroni’s, I had heard, whilst on a trip to Naples, about pizza fritta (Fried Pizza), but never of Pasta Fritta.
Negroni’s pasta fritta, which comes in a pair, was the highlight of the dinner. Expecting an opulence of fat and crust, the dish turned out to be surprisingly balanced and much lighter than ever expected. A must-eat if visiting.
beef carpaccio - £10
Following the pasta fritta was difficult, and the beef carpaccio (£10) had a hard task ahead. The black angus was of excellent quality and taste and the saltiness brought in by the Parmesan reduction added the taste balance required. One significantly negative aspect of the dish though was the lack of replacement of texture of the parmesan shavings, and the frugal amount of rocket sprinkled on top of the plates. Another divisive aspect of the dish was the fried capers which added a nice crunch but were overly salted.
Pan Fried Scallops - £13
The pan-fried scallops (£13) came in three, perfectly cooked, with the addition of a crispy guanciale and courgette cream which rounded up the dish nicely. The only issue was once again that they were slightly too salted.
Parmigiana - £8
As plates stopped arriving to our table and we finished the scallops, we asked for the bill, certain that our meal was over, whilst still feeling something had been forgotten. The bill mentioned a Parmigiana, which we remembered ordering but not receiving. When asking the waiter about it, they told us they had seen us eating it whilst we had never been served it.
After a profusion of apologies from a supervisor and a decent amount of time, we were finally brought an aubergine parmigiana.
The parmigiana (£8) itself was perfect, if a bit small for three people. Balanced, fresh aubergines melting as they’re supposed to.
Overall, the meal was more than satisfying and at a reasonable price (especially for Soho), but the over-saltiness of certain dishes and the kerfuffle at the end left us disappointed and tarnished the restaurant's image.
But I might still return to Negroni’s, at least for the pasta fritta.
