Small Plates – Big Charm of the Venetian Cicchetti | My Soho Times

Award-winning food writer, Kelly Gavaghan takes a shortcut to Venice via the heart of London, Covent Garden, to experience the charm of Cicchetti…

Venice is one of my favourite foodie destinations in the world. Why? Because of the famous bacaros. For those of you who don’t know, bacaros are tiny little holes in the wall selling the absolute best in Italian tapas – otherwise known as cicchetti – accompanied by petite glasses of Italian beers and wines. 

But why visit Venice when you can experience a taste of it right here in London? We went along to Cicchetti in Covent Garden to see if it would match up to the Venetian culinary experience we adore so very much. 

And how was it?

As the plates are essentially ‘small plates’ there is no starter, main and dessert per se, and therefore no particular order in which they arrive at your table. 

However, the Duck Salad was the first to be set down in front of us. It had been roasted and pulled, much like a Peking duck and was adorned with little cubes of sweet Melinda apples from Trentino that had a beautiful freshness and balanced the savoury, saltiness of the duck and pancetta. It was a sound start to our meal.

Next to arrive was the Black Ravioli – our favourite dish of the whole meal. The handmade ravioli, coloured with squid ink, was stuffed with creamy mascarpone and white crab meat and was served in the most delectable cream and white wine marinara sauce with just a hint of hot chilli. Not only was this utterly delicious in and of itself, but the sauce was also swimming with Littleneck clams. I’m still dreaming about this dish now; it was that good. 

The Meat Mixed Grill was our least favourite dish, not because of the taste or the produce, but because of the size of the portions. That said, the handmade Tuscan pork sausage seasoned with basil, fennel and white wine was meaty and marvellous, however the ribeye steak was just a little too fatty and was no bigger than a medallion. The lamb chop was also disappointingly small although what little meat was there was succulent and well-seasoned. We really would have liked one each, however the dish is meant for one person only and not served as a sharer, hence the size of the portions.

The Seafood Mixed Grill was another story. The dish was enticingly presented with a fillet of grilled seabass with a blistered skin, a huge King scallop that was perfectly cooked, (slightly translucent in the middle) a nice big, juicy king prawn and a langoustine – all of which made this seafood lover incredibly happy indeed. The quality, freshness and ‘cooking of’ were excellent.

And finally, the bruschetta came in the form of a generous slice of sourdough toasted – a lovely change from a small slice of charred French bread that you usually find in Italian restaurants in the UK. This was generously topped with earthy mushrooms and slivers of decadent, delightfully pungent black truffle, with a smattering of peppery roquette. Amazingly simple, but very tasty.

What’s it like there? 

Everything about Cicchetti is charming and extremely easy on the eye, shall we say. From the striking, eye-catching façade to the art deco inspired fittings and artwork, to the good looking and classically attired cocktail waiters and floor staff. 

The service from start to finish was impeccable and the atmosphere lively and inviting. Cicchetti was designed by London-based design studio, Fettle, renowned for creating some of the hippest and chicest hotels and restaurants in the city. They were largely inspired by classical Venetian architecture – rather on the grand side, by the looks of things. There is a beautiful play on light, mirrors, guilding and reflective surfaces which all come together to create what can only be described as an elegant grandeur in an Art Deco style, which in turn makes the experience feel all the more special. 

The décor and presentation are quite unlike the simplicity of the ‘hole in the wall’ bacaros in Venice, but San Carlo group have redefined the cicchetti experience. And have done it oh-so-very-well. 

What you should know.

San Carlo Group is not a chain. It is an independent, family run business, so let’s just get that straight. They just happen to have done incredibly well for themselves. How?

Well, in 1962 Carlo DiStefano arrived in the UK from Sicily with only £12 in his back pocket. By 1992 he had launched his first Italian restaurant in Birmingham. In the present day, the family now own no fewer than 23 authentic Italian restaurants across the UK with establishments also in Bangkok, Kuwait and Qatar. More are planned soon. 

From very humble beginnings their empire is now worth a cool £60 million. Evidence that they are doing something right. The family-run business cites passion as their key driver, which showed in our very first visit to one of their restaurants and it is no surprise to learn that the San Carlo Group are also winners of no less than 36 industry and consumer food and drink awards. They also sit comfortably within the Top Ten Italian Restaurants in the UK. Phew!

The menu is nothing short of superb and you can see that a lot of research has taken place to hone it with authentic dishes that come from all over Italy. The family’s philosophy is that if the ingredients are excellent, so will the food be, and it is THAT that will keep people coming back. And they are right.

Would we go back?

Most definitely! For 30 years I have been a supporter of and writing about the independent food and drink industry in the UK – around the same time that Carlos DiStefano launched his very first restaurant. It is so inspiring to see how this independent business has flourished and that can only be because of their strong family values and shared ethos in their brand. 

I am thrilled to have found a taste of Venice in London and I’ll be saving the airfare to spend on more of the delightful dishes at charming Cicchetti. 

Written by Kelly Gavaghan | Photos courtesy of Cicchetti

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This article was originally published in the Autumn issue of My Soho Times magazine.

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