For any of you that may have grown up in the 90’s or suffered the later revival era, you will know that NKOTB refers to ‘New Kids on the Block’. I am not writing here about the dreamy boy band from when I was 12, but rather the new opening next week of L’Anima’s cafe and deli in the City of London!
L’Anima has long been one of my favourite and ‘bench-marker’ Italian restaurants in London. I have found that I am not the only one who has the feeling that eating Italian food at a restaurant can be a cop-out, and so I have avoided it often, as I have felt it is sometimes just not good enough. This stereotype is probably born of growing up on freeze-dried pasta and ready-made sauces, pizza expresses and strada’s.
Since being with ze German, I have become more open-minded about Italian food, having eaten amazing quality food in Germany – coming from places like even Aldi! I ate giant ravioli with mushrooms and it could have been from Italy, but instead it was from what we in the UK consider to be the low-end supermarket (this level of quality for less does not exist in the UK)! Germans love Italian food like the Brits love a good curry.
There are a few Italians that I will definitely make the effort to visit now and then to satisfy the pasta/ pizza urge properly. Places like Rucoletta for a meal-deal or L’Anima are my staples. However, I did sometimes feel that L’Anima’s ultra modern interior with all white and glass, didnt make the dining experience so intimate. Which was seldom a problem, but sometimes you just want to be a bit cosier.
No problem! This week was the soft launch of L’Anima Cafe next door to the original big brother on Snowden Street. And what a launch… loved it! The place has a cosy but trendy look and feel and best of all the atmosphere has a real buzz. The deli was still in boxes earlier this week when I was there but can’t wait to check that out soon too. Great way to get people raving about it with a little helping hand of a 50% off special.
The staff was very new to the menu and logistics but it is early days and I am sure this will improve quickly; in the meantime their enthusiasm and politeness more than makes up for it! On arriving we got a seat by the deli and soaked in the vibe. Interesting people all around – the fact the city is now encroaching upon oh-so-cool Shoreditch is apparant. We were opposite the Queen of Hoxton (great roof-top bar/ bbq/ summer cinema) and there was a man wearing a sack sitting with a coffee on a stoop next to it! Great entertainment. Not sure how much the Shoreditch hipsters will like this move of the money towards the trendies, but speaking from the City side, we love it!
We didnt have too much time to spend at lunch unfortunately, we would have loved to order more and relax, but what we did order was delicious. One ‘Porcini e Salsiccia’ Pizza (thats mushrooms and Tuscan sausage) and a ‘Pasta Straccio ai Frutti de Mare’. Honey Monster’s pizza was huge, and at a £12.50 value full price it was what automatically we all called ‘Pizza Express prices’ – this made it taste even better if possible!
My pasta dish was beautiful – an open baked lasagna (pasta sheets under the sauce) in the great open oven, which gave it a smoky flavour, was delicious. Just the perfect amount for lunch without being left hungry or too full. On the pasta menu for me it was a toss-up between this and the lamb ragu. When I asked the waitress for her recommendation, thankfully she mentioned that the ragu was made spicy with some sausage… well that settled it. I don’t eat pork and not putting on the menu what the dish consists of, was a bit of a surprise for me. So sadly I skipped it, but next time I will be sure to check what can be done to make it more suitable.
Running out of time (although service was well-timed), we had to take dessert to go. Which meant we had a late afternoon treat with a cuppa where we sampled the amazing platter of a strawberry tart, a kind of cannoli, and something that looked like a tequila sunrise but tasted like a passionfruit cheesecake!
A great start to what I am sure will be a successful new venture in the City. Neighbours with HKK, I have a feeling this area will be sprouting further sources of yumminess over time! Fully functioning and open from next week – go and trEat yourself to some hearty or sexy Italian! A great job, Grazie mille L’Anima!