Cosy, little wine bars are one of the best things about Italian holidays - something that the owners of restaurant Enoteca da Luca know only too well. That's why they've endeavoured to give Londoners an authentic Italian experience across their boutique collection of restaurants in St Pauls, Devonshire Square and Guildhall.
Set on Basinghall Street in east London, the restaurant is small to medium sized and full of charm and character. Rustic tables are complemented by industrial lighting and hanging foliage, while the walls are lined with wine bottles for a homely vibe.
The food menu follows a typically Italian format starting with antipasti sharing plates such as polenta e funghi which is crispy polenta with creamed mixed mushrooms, alongside yellowfin tuna carpaccio with artichokes and lemon, plus bresaola e caprino which is air-dried beef with goat’s cheese and lemon dressing. Order a couple for the table alongside an aperitivo drink.
For first course, choose between pasta dishes like black tagliolini with white crab meat, garlic and chili or porcini mushroom ravioli with butter, sage and Parmesan, or enjoy specials like seared sea bass or slow-braised lamb shank with mash potato and roasted chestnuts. Then, for sides and salads, there's some gorgeous-sounding ingredient-led plates like sautéed spinach with butter and Parmesan or Datterini tomatoes with Tropea onions and basil. Or, if you'd prefer a glass of wine and some snacks, tuck into the likes of roasted baby green peppers sprinkled with sea salt, Nocellara green olives and a selection of bread dunked in Montoni extra-virgin olive oil.
There are red, white, rose and sparkling wines available by the glass, with of course, many sourced from across Italy from producers in Puglia, Sicily and Tuscany. If a bottle is what you're after, there's several pages of whites and reds, especially those marked as specifically from Italy.