Brutto
Farringdon, London
Restaurateur Russell Norman, formerly of Polpo, taught drama before finding his calling in restaurants. One wonders if an enthusiasm for immersive theatre is behind the masterful staging of his latest creation in Clerkenwell? What with the Chianti flasks, checked tablecloths and typewritten menus, one could almost be in Florence. Almost. The 1990s soundtrack playing at high volume prevented us from being transported entirely at inspection – note that Brutto’s own Instagram account does say: 'Noisy. Not Fancy. Don’t Expect Too Much.' The restaurant, opened in September 2021, plays to packed houses daily. Reservations are released online two weeks ahead; act fast if you want a table at prime time. We ate at noon and looked on as the tables filled all around us. The bar too. Could that be something to do with the £5 Negronis? The menu, in Italian and English, borrows from traditional Florentine trattorie to serve such simple dishes as pinzimonio (crudités) and Sicilian anchovies with toast and butter curls. 'Intrinsically simple,' notes a reader but 'reliant on the quality of the ingredients'. Vitello tonnato, too, is 'exemplary'. We were impressed by penne all vodka, the pasta al dente, the sauce piquant; also by panzanella, a ‘cocina povera’ classic, here more bread than a tomato salad, made moreish with red onion, basil and vinegary dressing. Best of all, however, were ‘coccioli’ (fried dough balls) with prosciutto and Stracchino cheese, while a bollito with tongue and fall-apart beef brisket was equally captivating, and lifted by perky salsa verde. Florentine T-bones (well seasoned and rested) are available in limited numbers, best to bag one on arrival. Pudding can be as simple as ice cream with espresso and brandy or ‘brutti ma buoni’ (the ‘ugly but good’ biscuits from which the restaurant takes its name).The young front-of-house team is 'superbly drilled' if, in our experience, overstretched. The house wine is reasonable and more than palatable, and there’s an attractive list of mainly but not exclusively Tuscan and other Italian wines. 'Bravo Brutto!'
Dining Information:
Counter seating, Dog friendly
35-37 Greenhill Rents, Farringdon EC1M 6BN
020 4537 0928
