First impressions of the restaurant (lovely decor, buzzy atmosphere) were great and service was very good (other than one overfamiliar American waitress) but we were really disappointed with the food and overall experience. We shared a range of starters which were all average and in a couple of cases on the border of being unpleasant (eg fried artichoke and grilled squid both had the taste of burnt butter, and the squid was undercooked in parts). Mains were an improvement (eg squid ink risotto was rich and the tagliatelle sound) but lacked any wow. We felt that most of the dishes were overpriced given the quality of the ingredients and cooking. Care was lacking as well – my partner found a small stone in his tagliatelle sauce and my dinner plate had not been wiped properly and had smudges that made it look like it was ridged. Yuck. Dessert was no better – a sandwich of icecream came in a toasted (again slightly burnt) brioche bun. It was like an increcream burger and did not work (although the icecream was very nice). My partner was also cross when he saw a little cake and candle being given to another table but not to ours, even though he had specifically asked for them to do something as it was my birthday. Given all the good reviews, I wondered if it was just us, but the table next to us also complained about their food being undercooked. When we're next looking for a nice Italian meal, we'll be going back to L'Anima which in comparison has superb decor, attentive but not overbearing service and divine food (including the best olives of anywhere I've been in London – BDL had similar ones, but they were smaller and spoiled by being served in the same dish as some more bitter olives that completely changed and ruined the taste).
