So many times have I passed the Baglioni Hotel in London and so many times have I not given it a second glance. From the outside this hotel doesn’t give much away, but inside it’s a whole other story and its newest restaurant, Osteria 60 is just as stunning. Textured gold walls, beautiful bronze lighting, lots of leather, gorgeous tiled floors and some rather lovely dining tables. The whole dining experience is looked after by chef Ivan Simeoli who expertly mixes Italian classic tradition with slightly more avant-garde techniques. A similar ethos to the legendary Massimo Bottura of Modena.
Service is particularly wonderful here too and despite how modern the menu is, it was nice to see some more mature Italian faces eating around the room – made even better with a thick Italian tongue floating around the room. They could do with changing the lounge music however, a little bit whiney at some points. We kicked off with a rather inventive and delicious amuse. A martini glass holding two pasta sticks cooked to an aerated crunch and given a coating of carbonara flavours. It was rather lovely actually. The bread is excellent too. Perfectly baked and the whipped butter was excellent.
Without resisting the temptation of my cameras ability to pull the colours from a black and white snap, we tucked into two delicious starters. Particularly memorable was the pasta. A stunning and vividly coloured ravioli stuffed with whipped sheep’s milk ricotta and an Amalfi lemon crunch. The lemon really was the star, adding so much flavour and acidity to the dish. A plate of food I could happily eat daily if given the chance. The steak tartar was again reinvented for the modern palate. 28 day aged steak was well seasoned and served with smears of roasted shallot mayonnaise, caviar and ripe berries. Presentation was excellent.
Main courses were just as memorable, but one in particular really got me excited – the Welsh lamb loin and belly with a Sicilian aubergine caponata. All of the lamb was beautifully cooked, seasoned to perfection and the aubergine was every bit as smokey as we’d hoped for. A very rich dish, yet that caponata somehow made it feel light and summery. The Osteria 60 parmigiana was deconstructed, served as the whole aubergine, fresh mozzarella and a rich tomato sauce slathered over it all. I really enjoyed the dish but a little extra seasoning wouldn’t have gone a miss. The simple, but refreshing fennel salad was the perfect side.
Saving room for dessert isn’t a task, but a necessity when visiting Osteria 60. I’ve experienced head chef Ivan’s cooking before in one of his previous roles at one of London’s top restaurants – so already knew dessert would be an absolute pleasure. The chocolate Mondrian was a decadent affair, while the Amalfi lemon tart with sorrel sorbet was a delight, and again not too heavy.
Osteria 60 was such a refreshing Italian experience. While the food may seem very modern – all of the familiar Italian traits and flavours are still in each plate of food, cleverly disguised as something new. This area of town can be a mixed bag for restaurants, so with Osteria 60’s arrival I couldn’t be happier. Especially with the promise of those desserts.
