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A true taste of Italy in London’s Vibrant Heart
Having visited and enjoyed Bocconcino Mayfair a few times recently, it was time to visit the sister restaurant in Soho’s Great Marlborough Street. Bocconcino’s second Italian restaurant opened in 2023, only 0.8 miles from their Mayfair restaurant (thanks, Google Maps),
Our walk to the restaurant took us through London’s lively Chinatown into Soho. This area of London has real energy and is busy during the day, but it comes alive at night. The small streets of Soho are packed with bars, restaurants, theatres, and clubs, a hotbed of music and fashion that stems from the swinging sixties and Carnaby Street. Bocconcino is located on the Great Marlborough Street, which leads to Regent Street, past Carnaby Street.
On entering the restaurant, you can see some differences from its older sister in Mayfair. There is a stunning bar area at the front with plenty of seating around it, and then you make your way to a large dining area. This restaurant has a bright, airy feel. No expense was spared on the decor and design, and they have created a lovely, relaxed dining space.
1 Start as you mean to go on.
The menu can seem daunting at first glance, with all the different sections and choices. However, we found the perfect solution: we ordered drinks and a freshly baked focaccia, which I highly recommend. Before we knew it, we were ordering our starters while finishing the bread.
My guest ordered seared scallops, Jerusalem artichoke puree, and shimeji mushrooms with a veal jus. I decided on a trio of tartares, yellowfin, salmon and tuna.
The scallops tasted as delightful as they sounded on the menu. They were visually stunning, with a searing on top and a slight translucent appearance inside. The earthy artichoke puree complemented the scallops perfectly (I plan to borrow that idea), and the dish was finished off with a rich veal jus.
My trio of tartare was a simple but clever dish perfect for a sunny day. Each one had its own distinct taste and was seasoned sympathetically to bring out the flavour of the fish.
2 Photogenic Mains
Next, onto our main choices, slow-cooked beef short rib with creamed truffle potato for my guest, and for me from the Primi piatti section, Sicilian Red prawns & bottarga on a bed of fresh tagliolini, in a shellfish sauce. This, dear reader, was such an easy choice for me. Gambero Rosso, as they are called in Italy, is a delicacy. Harvested from the waters off Mazara del Vallo, a small town on the western coast of Sicily, they are a national food treasure, and quite rightly so; they look and taste amazing.
I was not disappointed, I described the dish as so photogenic, this brought a smile from my guest, not sure if in agreement or amusement at me describing a prawn as photogenic. Anyhow, the prawns nestled on a bed of fresh tagliolini with the addition of bottarga and shellfish sauce that coated the pasta was sublime.
Meanwhile, my guest was raving about the slow-cooked short rib and truffle mash; the rib was coated in a thick, shiny cooking sauce that could have been a dish on its own. The mash packed a truffle punch, and with the addition of a side of irresistible zucchini fritti.
3 Too full for Desserts, never
Unsurprisingly, after starters and mains, we were nicely full, our waiter delivered the words that we knew were coming, “Would you like a dessert?” The answer was a compromise on our part as we knew we wanted to have that sweet hit to finish the meal, so we decided to share to save our ever-expanding waistbands a little. We decided on profiteroles with vanilla ice cream, chocolate sauce and almonds, hardly any calories in this dish.
The profiteroles were filled with the ice cream, which was the point of difference for this dish. Rather worryingly, they slipped down easily, and we were left staring at an empty plate.
It was a matter of saying our goodbyes to the team that looked after us so well. A quick word about the service—attentive and friendly, the perfect combination, in my opinion.
Finally, it was time to leave the comfort of the busy restaurant and return to the sunlight and the hustle and bustle of Soho.
Have you been to Bocconcino’s? What were your thoughts? Do you have a favourite Italian restaurant in London we should review? Drop me a comment below.
4 Where to find Bocconcino Soho
Bocconcino Soho, 59 Great Marlborough St, Soho, London W1F 7JY.
