Good reviews make me curious. They also at times, make me suspicious. I went into @donginowestend expecting fine, and left thinking this might be one of the better restaurant openings of the year.
It's a warm, Italian-leaning room with great decorations, patterned plates and interesting looking salt and pepper shakers on the table. You forget you are in West End.
We started with mortadella, then the mussels Siciliana, and that's where the night found its feet. They were gentle and salty, like the sea. Soft, smooth, juicy. But the sauce was the real star: tomato, garlic, chilli and parsley, and far too good to leave in the bowl. We had already placed our order, so we added focaccia purely to mop it up. It came with rosemary and salt flakes, and it did its job beautifully.
The mains held their own. The coral trout was cooked exactly right, flaking cleanly, with olives, capers, cherry tomatoes and potatoes that tasted like they belonged together. The beef cheek was the opposite end of the scale. It was braised in red wine until rich, deep and savoury, and it literally melted. You don't need a knife, just a fork and some patience with the mash. A side of broccolini with garlic, chilli and parmesan kept us feeling somewhat virtuous.
A pear and lemon sorbetto duo closed things out, light and sharp after all that richness.
I'd return for the mussels, with focaccia ordered upfront this time. Lesson learnt.
