Acciuga - Kensington, London

I recently attended Acciuga as part of a #ZomatoMeetup where I and other food bloggers sampled Italian Cuisine – no, not pizza or lasagne!

Madness of Gold

Frisciou, Fried Grissini, Focaccia Ligure 

The Finished Product - Poached Egg with Fresh Black Truffle

Our group received a talk from Chef Arnulfo who also provided a live demonstration of the starter some of us would be eating later in the evening (“Poached Egg with Fresh Black Truffle”). We also sampled a new signature cocktail for their new bar (to be based in Farringdon) called Madness of Gold which is cognac based and also has homemade grape marmalade, basil & fizz. Cognac is a strong alcoholic drink and I thought it would be overpowering. However the cocktail was well balanced; mind you, it is a cocktail to sip slowly! Along with our talk and cocktails we had appetisers, namely Frisciou, Fried Grissini and Focaccia Ligure. My favourite was the Focaccia Ligure – freshly made, soft and moreish.

Mediterranean Anchovies Breaded & Fried

I had “Mediterranean Anchovies Breaded & Fried” for my starters. I liked that it didn’t taste too fishy considering the reservations most people would have when it comes to anchovies. I thought that this was an appropriate starter, given that “Acciuga” means anchovy. The anchovies came with a sweet tomato sauce which came in a sardine tin; I thought this was pretty cool.

Piemontese Pork & Beef Stuffed Ravioli with Vegetable Sauce

For my main I had “Piemontese Pork & Beef Stuffed Ravioli with Vegetable Sauce”. This was on point; the ravioli and the sauce worked well together. My only criticism (as with maybe a few other blogger of the #ZomatoMeetup) was the portion size – a bit more could have been served.

Cream of Pistachio Millefeuille

I finished my meal with “Cream of Pistachio Millefeuille”. It was not presented as a typical millefeuille; it was deconstructed, with pastry and crushed pistachio topping the creamy filling and presented in a mason jar. It had the right balance of richness and sweetness; it was light in taste. It satisfied my sweet tooth without giving me a sugar attack.

Service at Acciuga was good and friendly. While there were approximately 20 food bloggers at the #ZomatoMeetup and the restaurant does have a private dining area I would suggest that Acciuga is primarily a place for intimate dining - classy initial dates and couples!

It was nice to explore Italian food other than the standard pizza/spaghetti/lasagne. If I visted Acciuga again, I would probably order the same 3 course meal; I think the ravioli left a bit of an impression on me. I just hope that a bigger potion would be served….

I thank Zomato for the opportunity to try out this restaurant!

2 comments Food, London, restaurant, review

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