L’Anima, Shoreditch
L’Anima
1 Snowden Street
EC2A 2DQ
Date of Last Visit: Friday, March 26, 2010
The Victim: Fellow London food and restaurant blogger, the delightful Mathilde of Mathilde’s Cuisine
The Damage: None. This was VERY unexpected. The restaurant decided to comp us (Mathilde, really). We were ready to pay. Expected to pay. But all such offers were declined. You know how I feel about this. So we left a nice tip. The tip was the only damage.
The Background: This is one of the nicest meals I can remember having as of late. Up there with The Loft which was almost exactly a year ago. And remember, as I’m eating all this and thinking that this is the nicest meal ever, I had no idea that I wasn’t going to be paying.
Because I continue to run out of words after all these years, I’m going to try to do this in pictures. Hopefully these photos will convey the beauty of the meal and Francesco Mazzei’s skill and style.
L’Anima bread. I could have had more of this. Was hard not to fill up on it before the dishes started arriving. (Things got off to a pretty slow start, but quickly picked up pace.)
Scallops and ‘stocca fisso’ with peppers & anchovy. I love anchovy more and more with each passing meal. This was a fantastic combination of flavors. Salty.
Borage tortelli with “Famiglia Gottardi’ balsamic vinegar. I’ve been thinking about these plump little pockets for days. The gentleman at the table next to us had a whole plate of them. JEALOUSY.
Wild sea bass with smoked aubergine and jar tomatoes. I loved the smoked aubergine. And the crispy skin on the sea bass. I mean, I loved the whole dish, but the aubergine and the skin were the best parts. And look at those little leaves, scattered around the plate.
Veal tuna. This was particularly lovely and tender. Summer. I like capers. A lot.
Sicilian rabbit, served in an almost Asian-style. (Putting aside the tomatoes, of course.) At this point, I was so full, I couldn’t do justice to this very rich dish. Francesco came out of the kitchen after he saw our returned plates to see if anything was wrong. (Talk about embarrassing.) I did not have the nerve to ask for a doggie bag. But had I know it was possible, I would have.
Because then the most deliciously light but tremendously rich hazelnut soufflé arrived. Maybe a little too eggy for me, but still absurdly delicious. Ah, L’Anima, I think I’ve lost my heart.
The Verdict: Sadly, Francesco is married. I checked. I’ll still go back though.
Apr 21, 2010
So glad you enjoyed L’Anima Francesco and his Kitchen brigade are IMHO producing the best Italian food in London !
Apr 21, 2010
Oh my! I am so due a return trip. This looks amazing!
Apr 21, 2010
it was most probably the best meal I have ever had in ages .. Thanks for sharing that unforgettable experience with me .. and yes Francesco is married, sorry!
Apr 21, 2010
Dino, it was truly fantastic. I want to go back even just to eat in the bar. Do you need a booking for the bar?
Apr 21, 2010
Maybe he has a brother?
Apr 21, 2010
It WAS amazing. Definitely need to eat here more frequently. Given proximity to my office, can't believe I haven't been sooner. But too many places, I suppose…
Apr 21, 2010
Really lovely photos, Krista. The pasta in particular looks amazing. Any idea why they comped it?
Apr 21, 2010
I can't speak for Mathilde but I would definitely say they were looking at her more than me when they told us! I was just a hanger-on at that point.
Apr 22, 2010
I just had lunch there again last week (it’s *really really* close to my office), and the lobster papardelle was outstanding – you could actually taste the sweet chunks of lobster. And there was some spice kick in there, which was nice.
As of this week, though, there seems to be a *ton* of digging going on in front of the restaurant. Not sure how long that will go on, but it seems unpleasant to eat there and be surrounded by construction vehicles.
Apr 22, 2010
That looks like a fantastic meal, every course beautifully presented. Thanks for telling me about this place, I like the sound of it.
Apr 22, 2010
Wow Krista – amazing meal and pictures – no wonder you were a bit full when we caught up later that night. Those tortelli looks divine.
Apr 23, 2010
Lucky you!! my office is only few minutes walk away – must try!!!
Apr 24, 2010
Even if you don't book a table, just get a seat in the bar area! Looks very fun.
Dec 20, 2010
[...] Talking about not so reasonably priced Italians – I REALLY want to go to L’Anima. [...]