Mele e Pere (Soho)

• The highlight for me was the Fennel Salami I found the breaded pastry style things (Gnocchi Fritti according to the menu) dry and unappetising
• The salami was lick your lips delicious
• The swordfish salad was light &
• Refreshing and the buffalo mozzarella also came with a zing in the form of the accompanying anchovy dressing
• 2 of us opted for the Globe Artichoke Ravioli with Monks Beard &
• Bottarga with Darling Husband opting for the Bucatini Amatriciana and W for the Fregola with artichoke and Broccoli
• Having discovered that Bottarga was a type of compressed fish roe
• I spent a fair amount of time digging for it but either the taste was too subtle for me or what I imagined to be other ingredients was in fact the Bottarga I missed it completely
• Darling Husband did admit to some food envy when comparing the ravioli with his bucatini (Sort of Penne) but still didn't hesitate in polishing his plate off
• The fregola (a pasta that resembles couscous) was also given a hearty thumbs up
• A great hit and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend if you were cruising the Soho streets
• Google image search a mass of spaghetti with a generic sauce plonked on top
• As many people know it by which I mean a bunch of stock pasta and pizza options is so often the default offering chosen by restaurants
• As dishes are deceptively simple and hot carbs with cheese will always please the masses
• S not all spag bol and carbonara made with cream *shudders*
• Window bar seating and mirrored wall adorned with glass apples and pears upon entrance and diners are greeted with an impressive copper topped bar and a large yet restful dining space
• My companion was someone who knows the restaurant and the dishes well
• So I said that thing that is either well received or slightly aggravating in this situation
• Ll leave the ordering to you whatever you think is good&rdquo
• The potato gnocchi with truffle god
• S menu according to which words I wanted to eat the most (they were coming out level pegging
• Deep fried ascolana olives stuffed with a little heat and served still warm
• Then a plate of partially translucent mackerel tartare with crunchy baby radishes and bergamot
• A third plate quenelles of chicken liver parfait with wine poached pear
• Italian leaf and a bright yellow pansy was something I wanted to photograph as much as eat
• Flushed pink and with batons of vibrant crisp radishes and cornichons standing to attention it was delicate and delightful (£
• Vitello tonnato is a Piedmontese antipasto of thinly sliced veal covered in a mayonnaise like sauce
• Then there was the aubergine parmigiana with pesto a glorious mess of smoky aubergine mush
• The potato gnocchi glowing from saffron with generous shavings of pungent Umbrian black truffle
• The beauty is in its (luxurious
• Pre theatre set menus of three courses with a glass of prosecco for £
• Continuing with the cockney rhyming slang
• Most of Mele e Pere is tucked away down the stairs with the bar
• Large pasta plates and main courses are available if you aren't in a sharing mood
• Everything that followed was delightful
• The one dish that you absolutely have to order though is Potato Gnocchi with Umbrian Black Truffle
• These were washed down with glasses of 2011 Montenidoli Vernaccia di San Gimignano which was one of their wine picks for the month
• They have an impressive list celebrating the best of Natural
• I finished off with a healthy scoop of Pistachio ice cream
• Staff genially busied about the floor and a couple next to us took delivery of a profiterole dessert I was so impressed by that I rudely asked its recipient diners if I could take a picture
• Purple sprouting broccoli and smoked bacon was an excellent blend of flavours and textures
• Salad of grilled octopus and calamari was cooked to tender perfection
• As the combination of dishes worked well together and the balance of flavours overall was a total success
• Selecting a bottle of white wine with great minerals from Trentino
• We signed off with a dessert of lemon custard
• This citrus bomb cloaked in a duvet of freshly toasted marshmallow was the perfect ending to a wonderful meal
• I did however turn a little green with envy when I saw the diner on the table behind us beam with glee as his T Bone steak arrived
• My first thought when entering a non branded Italian restaurant in the centre of soho was how much is this going to hurt my wallet
• The delicious food and the fact that I left with my overdraft intact
• The food is excellent with perfect portion sizes for the average stomach
• Soho is one of my favourite places to dine out as there are literally streets full of amazing restaurants to choose from and Mele e Pele has a prime location here
• Is dimly lit with a few wooden high tables alongside a huge displays of glass apples and pears
• Is a great deal larger and makes up for the lack of lighting upstairs with a collection of bright lights on bright colours
• When we arrived we were seated upstairs
• There were no customers in the downstairs space at all which is probably why they were hesitant to let diners sit down there alone
• In the pastas section they offer linguine with Sicilian Gambero
• Tagiatelle with Beef cheek Ragu
• In this way the menu is immensely Italian and there is very little that the casual diner will recognise
• I also had Sundried Tomato and Smoked Mozzarella Ravioli with Pachino Sauce&rsquo
• Both dishes were not what I expected them to be when I read their description on the menu
• Portion sizes were good and satisfied my hunger
• Dessert the ice creams are definitely worth a try
• I class this as expensive for a meal where there is limited choice to order from and one in which there were hardly any wholesome Italian dishes
• The sharing plates are more affordable however
• 5 and the must try ice creams are a much more pocket friendly £
• Mele E Pele is different sort of Italian restaurant
• This restaurant is more suited for diners that are looking for a challenging and unique meal
• Mele e Pere is a mellow and comfortable setting and feels really cosy at night
• One unusual thing about it is the fantastic vermouth bar
• Not my usual tipple but I was happy to try it and was pleasantly surprised
• I love a good gnocchi dish and was blown away by the truffle spin on it here
• The menu changes daily and perhaps the other most obvious example of their willingness to create new things is their tobacco flavoured ice cream
• One thing led to another and I ended up in Soho with two friends
• On this return visit it was very early evening and I was with my mum and sister for the pre theatre menu a very decent £
• Yet bitter and served with plenty of ice
• Coppa with artichoke hearts and pecorino was beautifully presented as a starter (x2) alongside a San daniele ham
• A great lump of porchetta with smoked aubergine paste ordered by my sister was nigh on melt in the mouth
• I plumped for the hake served with courgette and in a sticky sweet sauce
• Tagliatelle with beef ragù
• Tiramisu was packed densely inside a glass as was the Sicilian lemon custard with lychee ice cream and fresh marshmallow
• The cooking is key to Mele e Pere's success
• Mele E Pere was opened by Andrea Mantovani and Peter Hughes
• This reflects the window display filled with numerous glass apples and pears
• I'd like to Adam and Eve that there is a chef out back with an Italian accent shouting Cockney rhyming slang
• Opened in Soho in 2012 Mele e Pere offers a menu of sharing plates or a 3 course dining menu with British produce and Italian ingredients
• Lamb meatballs in a tomato sauce with pecorino cheese were delicious
• A deep flavour from the lamb with sweetness from the sauce and subtle saltiness from the cheese was very pleasing
• The deep fried squid with smoked aioli was some of the best I&rsquo
• The batter was light and crispy so you can actually taste the well cooked squid inside
• Broccoli and sundried tomatoes was a dish one of my friends ordered
• It looked sublime with prawns sat on the bigoli which was soaked in sauce
• T know if my friend is just rude or simply forgot to let me have a taste
• The fish was cooked extremely well and with the flavour of the bisque it was like a taste from the ocean
• Gnocchi with truffle was a dish recommended to me beforehand and I&rsquo
• Little soft bundles of joy covered in a buttery sauce infused with saffron and topped with truffle shavings was a thing of beauty
• The dish did lack a significant texture and was quite sloppy
• I hate to feel like being somewhere is a favour to them or at worst an inconvenience
• It was a single incident that I would be remiss not to mention as it was spoken about at our table but it does not detract from the food
• I was happy that one of my friends is pregnant so I could also down theirs before I jumped in to my uber
• This restaurant is a true hidden gem that your friends will talk about passionately about and deservedly so
• I enjoyed the starters but the main course was a disappointment
• The gnocchi with truffles is the only main I liked
• The beef ridiculously tender it fell apart with a brush of my fork and the flavour was just deep
• The ground floor is great to grab a bite to eat over lunch from one of the window facing seats or head downstairs for a more leisurely meal with friends
• The room downstairs was quirky and modern and the staff really friendly
• The menu was encouraging and the food was good but nothing outstanding
• Here the tagliarini with black truffle
• Per person) and few starters such as polenta with lamb (tasted amazing)
• I would definitely recommend even the price is it a bit too over the real value
• Don't tell me that it was an off day in the kitchen
• A trendy Italian restaurant with innovative starters and traditional main
• Mele e Pere is just one of the many restaurants that has been on my must eat list for yonks
• Mele e Pere is located smack bang in the middle of Soho so when I saw there was a brilliant Bookatable deal there I was sold
• Not only was it good but it was all I had expected and more
• See and taste how wonderful food is when prepared and presented with such love
• Tonight was an ideal time to try Mele e Pere out for I was going to a talk at the National Portrait Gallery at 7.30 and I knew it would only be a short walk from meal to gallery

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