Despite opening only recently, Il Baretto is already a favourite with Marylebone locals.

The Venue
Located on Blandford Street in Marylebone, Il Baretto is a split-level venue comprising of a ground floor wine bar and basement restaurant. The wine bar is small but perfectly formed, with a tiny bar along the wall and a curved banquette that’s packed with locals sipping their drinks whilst waiting for a downstairs table to open up. A narrow flight of stairs leads to the restaurant, which is full of dark grey, low seating and square tables. A large pizza oven dominates one area, whilst an Italian flag speckled with black paint decorates a brick wall.

The Atmosphere
Despite being located below ground, the atmosphere in the restaurant doesn’t feel stuffy or oppressive. Dim lighting and dark furnishings give the venue a romantic feel, although the tables are a bit too large for any cosy handholding across the table. Diners, a mix of well heeled Marylebone locals and large groups of suited business folk, flow down the steps to the restaurant in a constant stream and are greeted warmly – if they’ve not already been to the restaurant a dozen times, you wouldn’t know it from the staff’s friendly reception. Service is professional, but unfortunately starts to falter once the restaurant gets very busy.

The Food
An all-Italian menu consists of starters, pasta, pizza, grills and oven dishes, with many meant for sharing. Starters include calamari with courgettes (£9), served in a little paper cone and poured out onto the plate. Both the calamari and the courgettes are in long, thin strips, covered in a light, slightly salty batter. Suckling pig carpaccio is thankfully completely cooked through and sliced very thinly, layered prettily on a large plate and sprinkled with tiny slices of onions in a light vinegar, which enhances the meat’s smoky, slightly sweet taste.

Pizzas range from £9 to £14 pounds and are probably large enough to share. The pizza bufala (£12) is simple but delicious, with big chunks of milky mozzarella and fresh basil and tomatoes on thin, lightly crisped dough. It is, though, perhaps not the best choice if you’re eating with someone you wish to impress, as it’s quite wet and hard to keep from running down your hand as you eat it. From the selection of pasta, homemade tagliatelle with venison ragout (£12) is a large portion, served with metal tongs for easier splitting between plates. The pasta is perfectly al dente whilst the sauce is rich and meaty, the venison making it an interesting take on what would otherwise be a basic dish.

A list of about half a dozen desserts include an apple pie (£7), which, instead of the gooey American-style concoction you might imagine, arrives as a sophisticated tart, with a thick, sponge-y pastry filled with soft, sugary apple pieces. Gelati is £6 for three scoops; the lemon is bitingly sharp, whilst the mandarin is sweet without being too sickly, and you can really taste the zest from the oranges.

The Drink
A lengthy, all Italian wine list encompasses varieties from over a dozen regions, with an emphasis on red wine. Bottles start from a reasonable £18 and magnums are also on offer, reaching £175 for a Barolo Bartolo Mascarello 1988. There are six whites, six reds and one rose by the glass, ranging in price from £4.50 to £13. The Gaio Rosso Alfano is a light, slightly acidic red wine, whilst the Barbera d’Asti Trinchero is full bodied, heavy and sweet.

The Last Word
Well executed, not unreasonably priced Italian food that attracts the locals in droves, but Il Baretto is still worth a try even if you’re not lucky enough to live just up the road.

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