Zucca London – Excellent Mid-Priced Italian Restaurant in Bermondsey

Read our review of Zucca, one of our favourite Italian restaurants in London.

With the recent influx of reasonably priced, high quality Italian restaurants in London, it’s difficult to find time to visit them all, but a planned catch-up with friends and a fully booked Tinello in Pimlico led to a return visit to Zucca Restaurant on Bermondsey Street.

Zucca London was one of the most memorable new openings of the first half of 2010, and I had fond memories of the veal chop and the lemon tart, so I went along with a troubling mix of excitement and trepidation; the latter, thankfully, was completely unnecessary.

The Food: The menu at Zucca is brief, simple and rustic with a modern twist, with seasonal ingredients very much at its core, with a lengthy list of antipasti at exceptional prices. The ‘Zucca’ fritti (fried pumpkin) were light and crispy, the sea bass carpaccio was beautifully fresh and gently spiced, and the mushroom bruschetta special was the surprise hit of the evening.

From the mains, the taglierini with catalogna, gorgonzola and lemon was ideal for a cold autumn evening, but the veal (great at all previous visits – perfectly cooked, tender with a lemon bite) was too grisly. To the restaurant’s credit, they kindly took the cost of the veal off the bill, without being asked to.

The 2008 Castello Terriccio Capannino was a joy and, at £24, one of the more reasonably priced wines from the all-Italian wine list.

The Look: The décor at Zucca restaurant is simple, white and very bright, with the occasional flicker of pumpkin orange, and the floor to ceiling windows and bare white tables add to the modern vibe. The open kitchen feels very inclusive but the tables are packed in on top of each other, so it’s a little cramped.

Best Bit: The relaxed, buzzy atmosphere and the great value for money.

Areas to Improve: The lighting at Zucca could be muted a little as it’s very bright and the tables need more space between them.

Price: c.£30 for two courses and half a bottle of good wine.

Overall: The overall experience wasn’t as remarkable as the first visit but a part of me feels that this was always going to be the case as we now have a handful of similar restaurants across London, therefore Zucca is no longer the lone bright star in its field.

However, this should not detract from what was a great evening with commendable cooking and lovely wine, all for just over £30, which is something that should always be celebrated.

Described by many as a River Café at a fraction of the price, Zucca delivers just that – great food at very reasonable prices.

For other Italian restaurants try Toto’s or Union Street Cafe.

Share This

1 Comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *