Da Polpo

I ended up in Da Polpo after realising that it’s older brother Polpo (a restaurant that I have been intending to visit for well over a year now) is not open on Sunday evenings. Polpo opened in the autumn of 2009, introducing the concept of a bacaro, to Soho. Bacaros are wine bars from Venice, serving chichetti (small snacks) along with wine in comparable sized glasses. Following the runaway success of Polpo, the same owners opened Polpetto (in a similar bacaro vein), followed by Spuntino (same bacaroabstraction but a departure from Italian to American Diner-style cuisine), both in Soho. Da Polpo is their latest venture and a return to the original Polpo style but this time they traversed outside the confines of Soho into nearby Covent Garden. 

All their restaurants operate a strict No Bookings policy. This means that turning up after 7.30/8pm is likely to result in long waits. Luckily it was a Sunday and about 7 so the place was only half full and we were seated straight away. The décor was rustic and minimal, with the tables almost uncomfortably close but not cramped, making it a somewhat difficult process when attempting to leave the table.

Interior

The menu is compact, containing several chichetti, as well as numerous small tapas-style dishes, the idea being to order several and share. The mouthful of fennel and anchovy chichetti was pleasant, the fennel mild and anchovy lightly pickled, whilst the small arancini (fried risotto balls) were perfectly seasoned with a thin, crispy coating and oozing mozzarella in the centre.

Arancini

There is a selection of ‘pizzettes’, with a tantalising selection of unusual toppings. We went for the grilled mortadella, gorgonzola & pickled raddichio. A wonderfully thin, almost diaphanous, base was covered generously in strong gorgonzola, complemented and tempered by the acidicity provided by the pickled raddichio. My only criticism was the substantial amount of oil from the cheese.

Grilled mortadella, gorgonzola & pickled raddichio pizzette

Whole chilli and garlic prawns were delightful in their juicy simplicity. Keeping the shell on may not result in the most elegant eat but it undoubtedly adds to the flavour and well-cooked prawns are always a winner in my book. The assortment of meatballs are a must try. Three spicy, chunky balls of pork were lathered in a delectably sweet tomato sauce with the subtle fennel hit at the end of each bite providing a lovely finishing touch. However, the lamb and mint meatballs were good, but the same tomato sauce as before sometimes overpowered their more subtle flavour. They were a slight disappointment when compared to the pork and fennel meatballs.

Meatballs

For dessert, I went for a simple affogato (scoop of vanilla ice cream with espresso poured on top) & my brother got a tiramisu. Both were served in tumblers, looked appealing enough and certainly tasted pleasant.

Tiramisu

Prices are decent, ranging from £4.50-8 per plate, although visiting with a large appetite may ultimately result in a hefty bill. Service was friendly enough but it was sometimes difficult to get their attention, however there are no real complaints. 

Da Polpo is certainly worth a visit, providing a winning formula of high quality ingredients and inventive but uncomplicated flavour combinations. The only remaining item is to finally make that trip to Polpo, not to mention the other members of their ever-expanding family.

Price: Can't remember the total bill offhand but expect around £40-50 for two people with drinks

Where to go before/next: Being near covent garden you are right in the heart of the theatre district, so try hitting this place up before a musical/play. The Royal Opera House is also a short walk away. In the evenings you can head over to Dirty Martini in the square for some decent cocktails.

Website: Click here

Location: 6 Maiden Lane, Covent Garden, London, WC2E 7NA

Nearest tube: Leicester Square, Charing Cross & Covent Garden are all pretty equidistant

Opening Times: 12pm - 11.30pm 7 days a week (10.30pm on Sundays)