Spuntino, London

27 stools and a popcorn machine. That’s all we knew about Spuntino. Quite intriguing, no? A couple of weeks ago we decided to look for this tiny restaurant in Soho. We found its discreet entrance and we saw the 27 stools and the pop corn machine. We came in, we ordered almost everything on the menu (we ate popcorn as well, obviusly) and we decided Spuntino was going to be a new favorite in London. Another favourite restaurant in London you ask? Well, yes. When you see the mac and cheese and the steak and egg, you’ll understand.

After a nice morning walking around London we were starving. The weather was little bit chilly, we were excited with the perspective of a long weekend with our friends and London was looking prettier than ever under the darkest clouds and the brightest rays of sun fighting to win over the city . That translates into two hungry girls. Excitement, cold and beauty always make us hungry. As soon as we took our seats a nice waiter, who looked like a musician, told us that the secret of Spuntino was ordering 4 or 5 dishes to share and a few cocktails. Nice idea, we thought.

With a zingy Rosemary cocktail in one hand and lots of popcorn in the other, the world seemed fun, easy going and just perfect. We took our time to observe the decor (old school New York meets Mediterranean bistro) and the people around us: a group of friends, a lonely business man drinking cocktails (don’t worry, his friend came afterwards and they end up having a great time) and two lovely and really well dressed couples. Don’t you love that moment when you sit in a nice place waiting for your food to arrive, with the best company and lots of things to catch up? Happy face:

Of course you have to Instagram those moments…

But let’s focus on the food! We started with a nice salad, because we like eating healthy, you know. The anchovy dressing was the star of the dish. But who are we fooling? This was just the starter….

Because then the real food arrived. It should be noticed that the waiter told us that we had ordered way too much food. He had the best of intentions but he didn’t know who was talking to. We eat. A lot. And of course we finished everything!

The calamari with chickpeas were so good that I even though about ordering a second plate. They were smooth, flavourful, creamy… and surprisingly light. They were good. Really good. Do order them if you go to Spuntino!
Then we ordered the steak and eggs. Actually we heard one of the couples sitting next to us saying that they were there only for that dish. So we, envious as we are, had to ordered it as well.

Good choice, yes sir. So, so, good. Simple things are the best. That’s our philosophy summarised on a plate. The meat was tender and delicious. I usually love overcooked everything so I doubted a little bit, but after the first mouthfull we were delighted. It tasted like Summer with an Eastern touch. It was comfort food at its best. And speaking about comfort food…

Mac and cheese. Oh my. Can you believe we’ve never tried it before??? It was the epitome of scrumptious, decadent food. A cheesy, smooth, warm blanket for our stomachs. You might think we didn’t finish that generous serving. Well, we did, obviously. And we still dream about it. The highest caloric value on Earth with almost no nutrients but it was so worthy. And besides, we did eat a salad before.

Spuntino is the perfect place to go if you look for a relaxed, comforting fun meal. If you are lucky enough to seat on one of those stools, ask for a cocktail, choose randomly a few dishes (but do not forget the calamari and the mac and cheese) and feel one fo the cool kids.

Filed under: mmm... Monday!