Palatino (Clerkenwell)

• I used to share an office with a native Roman who always said that offal was the most important component of Roman food
• I started with the rigatoni with veal pajata
• That's a tomato and meat sauce made with tripe of unweaned calf
• It tasted a lot like ordinary bolognese but with a more melting meat texture
• The winning starter was the antipasto of anchovy
• This was a bruschetta spread with with rich young buffalo cheese
• My other companion's order of gnocchi a la romana (ie no potato) served with fried sage and brown butter was excellent too
• I stuck to the Roman theme and went for the vegan option of artichoke which was prepared alla Giudia
• So that leaves were like crisps
• This was served with borlotti beans prepared with quite a lot of garlic and dressed with chopped radicchio
• The order of saltimbuca was really good too
• Its owner complained she could have done with more of the accompanying spinach
• An order of chicken and pistachio meatballs on polenta was comforting but probably the least exciting of our mains
• The almond and lemon cake with ice cream and rhubarb was a very nice crumbly cake where ice cream added moisture
• In cold weather it's probably best to ask not to be seated by the huge picture window
• Ever since I was given his first book to review years ago and started going to his first restaurant in London The Dock Kitchen
• His latest edition is Italian restaurant Palatino
• Opening your first restaurant at 24 and having a small group of distinctive and well regarded joints in and around London by the time you are 32 is some achievement
• Sardine each of which has their own unique positioning but all with critical acclaim for the food
• I left to choose all the food and wine with the exception of my own meaty main
• Calls itself Palatino it is making something of a statement
• Bold 'Lib Dem' yellow branding and matching interiors confirms that there is little that is shy about Palatino
• There's not much wrong with Palatino (Clerkenwell)
• It may be a restaurant that's is slightly out of place
• Being out of place and out of time is not necessarily a bad thing

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