Four to Eight (Covent Garden)

• Italian food is known for its simplicity
• 9) and Zucchini Carpaccio with truffle honey dressing &
• Only the Scallop Linguine with (watch out Su Lin) crayfish &
• 12) and Duck Ravioli with savoy cabbage
• Last but not least was a range of desserts from French in house pastry chef Annabelle Delrieux (previously chef patissiere at Anna Chocolat in Bordeaux)
• The presentation was delightful across the board
• Theatre menus will be the way to go if they are introduced
• Italian food is very high up on my list of favourite cuisines
• Who started with a sandwich shop on the exact same site
• What I love about Italian is the simplicity
• Soft shell crab with a lemon and garlic aioli is what I had for starters
• Deep fried crab was placed in front of me and I felt sorry for the poor thing&hellip
• Not greasy with sweet meat
• Fermented pear and served in its own little saucepan was refreshing
• Treviso and sage was a beautiful piece of fish and the sage complementing the flavour gorgeously
• Beef shin ragu flirtatiously entwined with pappardelle was a simple but absolutely amazing plate of food
• Slathered in sauce and a mass of depth from the meat was something I could eat all day
• Aubergine crostini and the salt marsh lamb leg is what my friends opted
• The crostini topped with a tomato ragout with saffron and peppercorn pecorino melt was a simple
• A crispy texture from the crostini added with sweet tomatoes and saltiness from the pecorino was a nice mouthful of food
• The lamb served with caponata and with a thin layer of mint and basil on top
• Mandarin panna cotta and opera cake and ricotta ice cream is what we decided for desserts
• The panna cotta which looked a bit like a fried egg and came with a pistachio and tutti frutti biscotti was a sweet and silky smooth joy
• As I knocked back our free limoncello shot I left with a smile knowing I would return
• It is a two level establishment with a modern design and crisp decor
• We enjoyed canapes of squid ink crackers with squid emulsion
• A new idea for us as we have been having difficulties as to what else to do with our pears from our garden besides chutneys
• I enjoyed a Sea Bream with crispy skin and the beautiful
• Flaky fish was complemented by wonderful textures and flavours from the roast lettuce
• A winter warming dish served on pappardelle and decorated with pecorino and nasturtium leaf
• We tucked into a velvety Opera Cake served with ricotta ice cream
• So you will just have to take our word that it was a dessert made in heaven
• The rum baba is enough for two people to share
• S warning that it was a big dessert
• We heard from our neighbours that the Amalfi lemon tart was to die for &ndash
• The matching wines served per course were as follows
• It was a thoroughly enjoyable experience with the culinary theatre of the open plan kitchen opposite us whilst with made new food blogger friends
• A wonderful new venue with fabulous food and attentive service
• We began our meal with a prosecco reception as I got to know fellow bloggers Chiara and Jason Pinto of GoanToLondon
• Topped with goats cheese (everyone is obsessed with goats cheese) and fresh herbs
• The cracker was an ideal canapé
• Cured meats with fresh rosemary
• Farinata (a chickpea flat bread with black pepper and Parmesan) and arancini (which had walnuts in which I only knew from reading the restaurant menu as it wasn't stated on our menu)
• I opted for the venison tartare which came in a pretty copper saucepan with bitter leaves and crisp bread
• Unfortunately I could hardly taste the venison as the creamy dressing was too overwhelming
• This was quite disappointing but the chef was grateful for our feedback
• The crisp bread was nice and I liked the contrast from the bitter leaves
• I felt the meat was a touch dry and I wouldn't have really liked more sauce
• Sam's main course of mushroom risotto was definitely the dish of the night
• The risotto had a gorgeous creamy texture which contrasted with the mix of crisp and soft mushrooms on the top
• The dish was finished with shaved Jerusalem artichoke which gave a freshness to the meaty dish
• The cake was topped with a round of date paste which was a lovely rich touch which I loved
• When I learnt that the restaurant was Four to Eight an Italian in Covent Garden I was a little bit apprehensive that this would be yet another soulless Italian to add to the list
• Actually there are lots of awful Italian restaurants
• Grilled Spatchcock baby Chicken with Kohlrabi Slaw
• The chicken was moist and really tasty
• The fennel salad was wonderful and it had a tart citrus tang that was perfect with the chicken
• Fortunately new Italian Four to Eight on Catherine Street encompasses all these and has leapt into the best few in the area
• In a former life Four to Eight was a coffee shop owned by brothers Gino and Leo Zambito
• The restaurant is dominated by the central bar and wine cellar
• Decor wise is sleek and modern
• The small plates are light and delicate
• Smoked eel was well balanced and complimented perfectly by tangy salsa verde and a runny hen&rsquo
• Was well balanced with pickled radish and a light
• At the suggestion of staff we also indulged in the ricotta balls with wild garlic sauce
• The wild garlic is flavoursome with the pungency of its stronger cousin
• Big comfort food was the order of the day for mains
• Lamb heart ragu with spaghetti had a good strong meaty flavour
• Obviously since I was wearing a white top I promptly splattered it down my front
• The gariguette strawberry dessert is a new dish
• It was absolutely bursting with fresh fruitiness
• The buttermilk ice cream was light as a feather
• S fine dining food and ingredients with friendly service and a relaxed atmosphere &ndash
• Me and my boyfriend decided to go for the 3 course set menu with prosecco and we were not disappointed
• One of the dishes I had was Semolina Gnochi which was very delicious
• My Strawberries with cream were also amazing
• Our waiter was very sweet and attentive at all times
• We were looking for an restaurant with different food
• Only a block off the Strand in the middle of the theater district sits an Italian style restaurant with all the typical Italian dishes
• Was some kind of mini ravioli with sausage in it
• A cocoa amaretto cheesecake and a mouse with pomegranate
• The wine selection is wonderful and they had some craft Italian beers
• Accompanying it were slabs of oily smoked salmon
• Rather than slightly cooked into a rubbery state with transparent albumen

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