Brutto

London, UK

Restaurateur Russell Norman is a maître d’ rather than a chef and has overseen some of the most glamorous dining rooms in London (including Scott’s in its prime) as well as inventing the ground-breaking Polpo chain which introduced Londoners to the idea of queueing. Brutto is likewise Italian, though here the accent is Florentine rather than Venetian and it accepts bookings, too. Pasta is a top shout, as too the signature starter of ‘cuddles’ (pillowy fried dough with gooey stracchino cheese for dipping), and if some of the cooking is challengingly plain (‘brutto’ means ‘rough’), that is not an accusation that could be thrown at the dining room: beautifully lit, sensitively spaced and proof that restaurants are just as much about mood as food. Good value, too.

Key Information

• Average price per person $41
• Lunch and dinner: Tue – Sat
• Visit Brutto's Website

Location

35-37 Greenhill Rents, Farringdon, London, EC1M 6BN