Miscusi is already hugely popular in Italy and has now landed in Covent Garden. This backstory might conjure the image of a chic ristorante lit by candles and white tablecloths, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Miscusi is more like the Italian, pasta-based version of Leon. A canteen-style eatery offering fast, affordable dishes. That’s not to say that there is a lack of style here. The downstairs of the restaurant boasts a 60s-style shop displaying utensils and cookbooks, while the upstairs walls are adorned with various colourful plates.
We kicked off with an Aperol spritz and gin and tonic, the latter featuring an unusual flat, lemon-infused tonic which was surprisingly pleasant. After a brief skim of the streamlined menu, we chose the carbonara - always a good litmus test - and the paccheri tricolore. Miscusi didn’t quite live up to the label of ‘fast food’, but once the pasta arrived our timekeeping qualms evaporated.
A tangled heap of silky egg tagliatelle, sprinkled with crispy cubes of guanciale hit the spot. And £8.90, considering the generous portion size, was great value. The ancient grains paccheri, meanwhile, came tossed in a light tomato sauce topped by blobs of creamy burrata, with fragrant basil completing the trifecta. The pistachio may not have added a fourth colore, but it did bring a pleasing earthiness to round out the flavour profile.
When it came to the house - and only - wine at £4 a glass, we got what we paid for. Pleasingly full from our generous mains, dessert had to be shared. A cheesecake, its biscuity base topped with tranches of poached pear and deliciously melty chocolate, finished things off nicely. If the slightly sluggish service speeds up, this would make a great place to enjoy dinner and a drink for well under twenty quid.