A quaint, old school Italian restaurant on the bustling Southampton Row.

The Venue
Trattoria Verdi resides on a popular commercial and tourist artery in central London. The British Museum is just down the road so, inevitably, hungry visitors to this magnificent building will end up at Trattoria Verdi on their trawl for nourishment.

The fact that Trattoria Verdi has been in London since 1964 comes as no surprise - the decor doesn’t look like it has changed much in the meantime: yellow painted walls, big robust barrels, exposed wooden beams, fairy lights and various oddities, like a violin attached to the wall, are not the sort of thing to get fans of modern interior design weak at the knees.

The Atmosphere
It can range from packed and bristling to relaxed and sedate, depending on the hour. Early evening, during the week, it is fairly quiet. In the middle of the room is a piano, which gives the venue a feature that other high street chains don’t have. The sound of a female singer twinkling away on the ivories is a nice backdrop to your meal.

The Food
As you might expect the menu is packed with traditional Italian food throughout its starters, mains and desserts. If you consider bruschetta, spaghetti meatballs and tiramisu to be the holy trinity of an Italian three course meal, then you’ll be more than happy with what’s on offer. For those looking into the further reaches of the menu there’s a lot of seafood available on the specials menu. This may sway you, just don’t expect too much in the way of modern embellishments.

Joining the bruschetta on the list of Italian staples is the caprese salad. At £5.95 for a starter portion it is fresh, milky and goes well with an olive oil dressed leafy salad. Alternatively, the mushroom campagnoni at £4.95 is actually a much more satisfying experience. The deep fried mushrooms come coated in breadcrumbs and contain a pungent, garlic-heavy green pesto that is reminiscent of a chicken Kiev, as your knife cuts through it and it pours viscously out.

When it comes to signature dishes, surely spaghetti meatballs is as good a barometer to an Italian restaurant’s mettle as any other dish? When the dish is billed as the Chef’s Special, as on Trattoria Verdi’s menu, you’d be silly to ignore it altogether. Overall, the meatballs are very respectable. Presentation is not one of their strong points – the meatballs come strewn in a sauce that literally swamps the shallow bowl right the way to its edges. You are best off ordering some bread to mop up the excess. In their favour, the meatballs are well proportioned, nicely seasoned with herbs and garlic, and go well with the al dente spaghetti. One thing that becomes apparent as you work your way through them is that the mince used tends to dissolve a little, making you feel that it is quite fatty. At £10.95 this is a substantial serving that, despite the minor issue with the mince, is very enjoyable.

Those seduced by the hand written specials menu, will see the likes of halibut and king prawns. The king prawns are served whole with a side portion of roast potatoes, some greens and a sauce that’s not too dissimilar to a hollandaise. Once you pull the prawns from their shells, they appear a good size and taste fresh. The sauce, on the other hand, is less successful. The roast potatoes are small and not basted in enough duck fat or lard to make them spectacular. An option of rice might be better suited to this dish.

If you like spectacular puddings, you will love the desserts at this venue. Once you request to see the menu, the waiter will diligently wheel the big dessert trolley noisily across the room. Naturally, the tiramisu is present and correct, as is a creme caramel and various others. The creme caramel is absolutely fine, its distinctly light and fluffy consistency makes it easy to digest at a stage of the meal where this is a definite plus point. A more stodgy option is the Italian version of mille-feuille, which combines an iced pudding with delicate puff pastry and splurge of whipped cream.

The Drink
The house white wine, Castelli Romani, is pale, light and a bit like liquid amnesia – instantly forgettable. Thankfully, if you spend a little more there are better options, like the Orvieto Classico Abbocato (£18.95) and the Verdicchio dei Castelli Jesi (£18.95). These show you really should go outside your comfort zone if you think that Pinot Grigio is the only Italian grape for you.

The Last Word
Fans of retro restaurant experiences will be right at home at Trattoria Verdi, and tourists heading back from the British Museum could do a lot worse, too.

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