Rex House,
4/12 Regent Street,
London,
SW1Y 4PE
0872 148 1031
The ViewLondon Review
The opening of a new Italian is not normally an event in the world of London eating but II Pomodorino is slightly special. Foodies will be familiar with its sister restaurants in Rome which regularly serve over 3,500 diners a day.
Don’t be fooled by the bland décor this restaurant is a gourmet powerhouse with fabulous food at affordable prices. Tucked away at the bottom end of Regent Street, its location is the only thing which may prevent it emulating the stellar success of its predecessors.
Rustic Italian cooking dominates the menu and an authentic wood oven ensures the pizzas are cooked to crispy perfection. The predominantly Italian staff are well trained but could do with improving their grasp of English. Our attempts to explain that we would like Bruschetta as a starter fell on deaf ears and we sat feeling famished until everything annoyingly arrived at once.
Despite initial irritations, Pomodorino proved its pedigree with a meal which has lingered in my memory and on my tongue. Brushcetta was wonderfully moreish and decorated with an exciting array of nibbles such as artichoke hearts and parma ham. I chose a relatively simple pasta dish for my main, curious to see if Pomodorino could deliver where chain restaurants fail. My tagliatelle with prawns and asparagus was gloriously rich in flavour and the pasta was possibly the freshest I’ve ever tasted.
Between us we sampled the Chef’s signature dish of Tuscan beef with rocket and parmesan in aged Balsamic sauce. Chunks of juicy red meat blended perfectly with the parmesan and fresh herb. Pan fried sea bass with asparagus and fresh tomatoes was delicately arranged with crispy chunks of white flesh surrounded by steamed vegetables. A glass of pungent Italian chardonnay proved the perfect accompaniment to a meal that proved this is a restaurant where food comes first.
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