Scran Spot Review #6 - Negronis, Soho

CUISINE

Negroni’s is an Italian spot set in the lively area of Soho, with its essence ‘the imperfect mix of yelling, loving, eating and drinking. Pure Italiano.’ Its brand highlights the chaos of the restaurant in a positive light and the food intends to bring strong, powerful flavours to your palette. The menu encourages tapas, whereby you should select a range of Italian plates and pasta dishes to share with your companion(s). The drinks menu also provides a good assortment of cocktails, beers and wines, as well as its own dedicated negroni section, which I found very appealing.

MY SCRAN CHOICE

We responded to the question Negroni’s posed, “Mangiamo Tapas?” by doing just that, grabbing a wide range of Italian classic small plates. It was a hearty portion of food, but between two of us, we ordered three starters, two pasta dishes and a dessert.

TAPAS

‘FRIED CALAMARI & TEMPURA PRAWNS’

Served with garlic mayo

The garlic mayo was moreish and was a delightful dipping sauce for the fried goods. Although the tempura was cooked nicely, the calamari was unfortunately too chewy and arduous to work through.

‘PAN FRIED SCALLOPS’

Courgette cream, crispy pork Guanciale, grated lime, black pepper

Visually, the Scallops looked very appetising, but regrettably, the quality of the seafood was lacking. The crispy pork however was a nice addition.

‘ARANCINO DI PORCINI’

Porcini mushrooms, Taleggio, Parmesan cheese, truffle oil with marinara sauce dip

I enjoyed these bite-sized Arancino balls, as truffle fused with mushrooms is also recipe for success. It was presented well on a bed of marinara sauce, and did the job nicely.

PASTA

‘IL TORTELLONE’

Tortelloni filled with ricotta cheese, rocket, yellow datterino sauce, Parmesan cheese reduction

This was satisfying, but lacking real flavour, in part because I felt lemon could have been brought out the ricotta in the dish. In hindsight, I should have ordered its sister plate, where lemon was a central ingredient, the Ricordo di Sorrento.

‘TRUFFLE CACIO E PEPE’

Pici pasta, Pecorino Romano cheese, black pepper, black truffle

This was the star of the show. The sauce was delectable and the truffle added a nice kick to the flavour. I would endorse ordering this dish, as not only was it my favourite, but the waiter also felt this was the best dish Negroni’s could offer.

DESSERT

‘CHOCOLATE CAPRESE’

Fior di Latte Gelato

At this stage of the meal, I was already quite satiated, but even so, I was discontented with the dryness of the Caprese. It felt as though the dish could have been more creative, as the ice-cream did not sufficiently counter-act the dryness of the cake and the crumbs.

DRINKS

Although the Casa Negroni was delicious, as expected by the restaurant’s standout name, the Espresso Martini was really disappointing. It arrived lukewarm, and a bit too bitter. I would therefore definitely recommend opting for the negroni option or try out some of their classic Italian cocktails instead.

‘Ponte Pietra White 2021’

Veneto. Trebbiano di Soave, Garganega. 12,5% Vol.

A lovely bottle of white - It was crisp on the palate with citrus and honey aromas really shining through. It was the cheapest option on the menu, but no complaints from me - far from it!

THE FEE

We were fortunate enough to have found a 50% off deal for the month in time we visited Negroni’s and so we took full advantage of the discount by ordering plenty of food. However, if the discount did not apply, it would have felt like a fee too extortionate when cogitating over the quality of the food.

THE REVIEW

Overall, I enjoyed the meal, partly due to my hunger and the possibility of tucking into Italian tapas. However, the quality, I felt, lacked for a higher price-point restaurant, which somewhat explains why Negroni’s was offering a discount for the month, to attract further custom. The pasta dishes were tasty but the starters could do with some greater flavour. The eclectic range of Italians on show in London is mouth-watering, and it is hard to compete in this market, but Negroni’s have an excellent location in Soho, and should endeavour to stand out from the crowd. I will certainly look to try out different restaurants in the area as Negroni’s disappointed, particularly in light of its attractive marketing strategies. A 3* performance on this occasion, just escaping a 2*, due to the friendly staff, clever food presentation and alluring drink options.

THE EYE TEST

THE TASTE TEST

SERVICE

ATMOSPHERE

PLAYER OF THE MATCH

- TRUFFLE CACIO E PEPE -

FINAL MATCH RATING

LOCATION

Address: Negroni’s, 15 Frith St, London, W1D 4RE

Nearest Stations: Tottenham Court Road (0.2 miles), Leicester Square (0.3 miles), Covent Garden (0.4 miles)

Website: https://www.negronis.co.uk/