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 baked camembert with garlic, honey and bread, alongside sauteed wild mushrooms with crispy egg yolk and parmesan shaves, plus smoked tuna carpaccio with pomegranate seeds and vinaigrette. Order a couple for the table alongside an aperitivo drink.
For the first course, choose between pasta dishes like linguine with crab meat, garlic and chilli, or gorgonzola-filled ravioli with pear, chilli and walnuts. Elsewhere, guests can enjoy specials like pan-fried sea bass with roasted peppers or slow-cooked chicken supreme with porcini, barley and roasted shallots. When it comes to sides and salads, there's some gorgeous-sounding ingredient-led plates like Datterini tomatoes with Tropea onions and basil, or rocket salad packed full of parmesan shavings and balsamic vinegar. 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.