Bancone first set up shop in London in 2018, a collaboration between hospitality director Will Ellner and David Ramsay, who wanted to create a space where friends could get together over fuss-free, pasta focused meals that didn’t scrimp on quality. Today, there are five Bancone restaurants across London, each one underpinned by the same ethos of freshly made pasta, accessible fine dining and inspired by Italian counter dining culture.
The City location sits on Princes Street and has an on-trend, warehousey edge. Think exposed brick walls, exposed overhead pipework and a bustling open kitchen, all stainless steel surfaces and pendant lighting. It’s buzzy, packed with tables and spots available at the bar for a quick drink before you sit down for dinner. This is the perfect place for meeting after work - especially considering the location - but with larger-than-your-average tables, consider this for a birthday or night out spot with friends, too.
First, start with a drink. As any Italian influenced joint tends to, the menu has a healthy negroni section spanning an orange blossom take on the original,chianti infused option and a white negroni, as well as the original. As for house drinks, there’s the Bancone Dirty Martini, Italicus Spritz, and a house margarita.
The food menu is relatively short, but definitely sweet, with a curated mix of antipasti followed by seasonal pasta dishes. To begin, you might share the likes of fried artichoke with romesco and roasted nuts, alongside tuna tartare with chilli oil, pasta fritta and lemon, and perhaps the Nduja Iberica served with whipped mascarpone.
Onto pasta and it’s almost impossible to choose between the silk handkerchiefs with nutty walnut butter and confit egg yolk, or the Herdwick hogget with pappardelle, soy, Thai basil and chilli. You can’t go wrong with gnocchi, roasted tomato and smoked stracciatella - and easy classic - while the rare breed beef caramelle, marrowbone, crispy cavolo nero and Barolo sounds chef’s kiss as well.
You’ll probably be pleased to know that dessert is definitely a thing here, with a steady stream of pistachio cannolis available, chocolate tarts and even crème caramello.