Cuisine:

• Italian

Giardinetto Description:
In the increasingly important gastronomic Albemarle Street, the well-designed, sophisticated Giardinetto holds its own admirably. It's a slightly awkward space and small, but the prints on the cream walls and frosted glass doors give a light touch. With a menu based on Ligurian cuisine, the chef concentrates on seasonal ingredients, many flown in from local Italian suppliers from his area. The presentation is delightful, the cooking refined as in fried calamari with artichokes and flowers as a starter, or a roast duck with a gleaming saffron pear filled with chestnut cream and a wine reduction, or the simple but first-rate Milanese cutlet and ratte potato crisps with rosemary sauce for a main course. Pastas are obviously homemade. The all-Italian wine list surprises and delights, though at a price. But the great value here is an à la carte lunch where prices are kept ridiculously low for the level of cooking and location. Starters range from £3.50 for octopus carpaccio with vegetables to £5.50; pastas are £6 to £7.50; mains delightful with the likes of Italian sausage cooked in white wine and sage on mashed potatoes at £7 to some of the best beef. Service is as charming as it was in the restaurant's former incarnation on Charlotte Street. Set 2-course lunch £18, 3 courses £22, 4 courses £25.50.


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