| A Baroque Business |
The City Magazine, June 2008Alice Tozer starts taking Italian food seriously at Caravaggio A restaurant of distinction, Pavarotti opened Caravaggio in 1996, lending it immediate kudos. At lunchtime in the City, hungry businesspeople populate the converted bank building and the uniqueness of its restoration immediately strikes; a staircase is suspended from the ceiling in elegant poise, and leads to a gallery that circumvents the room at mezzanine level. 1930s Art Deco dominates, whilst terracotta hues and sweeping curtains complete the theatrical theme. One of the great comforts in Italian restaurants is the ever-present thick, pure white material napkins and matching heavy tablecloths. With wine and water flowing, soon to arrive were our primi piatti - warm smoked salmon salad with octopus, spinach and cucumber for me, and celeriac and sauteed queen scallop soup for my companion. The soup was well seasoned, nutty, thick andcrucially - hot, and the chunky salmon salad was refreshing.
Main courses were eagerly anticipated. An Italian restaurant without a pizza, and not even labouring the pasta? This was the stuff of civilised Mediterranean dining, with an emphasis on Italian takes on fish and vegetables. Perfectly proportioned portions arrived: tender calves' liver with fresh tomato, artichoke and mint, and meaty monkfish sauteed with lemon, capers and sage. Though both dishes were possibly a little over-enthusiastic on the oil, they were skilfully seasoned and my monkfish was oozing with rich flavours, led by the capers, blanketed in a thick, comforting sauce. Caravaggio's pieces de réisistance are without doubt its desserts and the distinctive flair proved the product of a certain Cristiano Paulini. My bitter and white chocolate mousse with pink peppercorns and masala sauce (£7 it la carte) sported a thick sponge base which carried a wobbling head of devilish white chocolate mousse, and a sturdier milk chocolate one below, with a fan of vibrant and juicy berries as a garnish. My companion apparently too full for a dessert five minutes earlier - was burying away, hidden in his classic choice of house speciality fig and Armagnac ice cream (£6); outrageously creamy, cold and well-balanced in texture and zest, a white chocolate javelin pierced the boules with dramatic effect. Caravaggio has been open for twelve years, and it exudes confidence and professionalism; a very polite quadrumvirate had unobtrusively attended to our every need. Anyone looking for affordable, innovative Italian cuisine in a relaxed yet attentive environment, with a splash of the aesthetically original in the decor, will fit in well there. It can be a great unpretentious location for business lunching, or a quieter retreat for evening meals of a versatile nature. Homage to the Baroque artist, Caravaggio has painted me a clear picture that classic Italian food is not necessarily a pizza and pasta affair. Three-course menu: £23.50 Caravaggio |
