La Famiglia

La Famiglia’s founder, Alvaro Maccioni, is considered by some to be the Godfather of Italian cuisine in Britain, and patrons of his restaurants over the decades have included Gregory Peck, Brigitte Bardot and Princess Margaret. These days, you may well see the likes of Roman Abramovich and José Mourinho, yet on any Saturday lunchtime at La Famiglia, there’s a sense that everyone is special – some guests are warmly hugged as old friends, while small children are treated like royalty. Surrounded by blue and white tiled walls, we sipped on sublime minestra d’ova, a light broth with egg, lemon juice and parmesan cheese, that had just the right balance of tartness and salt. Deep-fried courgette flowers were crisp and melting, while a main course of grilled sardines glazed with balsamic vinegar was perfectly judged, with exactly the right level of charring. Appropriate to the Tuscan-themed menu, fresh pappardelle with wild boar sauce was a highlight: the pasta almost dissolved on the tongue, and the seasoning enhanced rather than drowned the meat’s flavour. We finished on a Sicilian note, with fragrant cannoli from the dessert trolley. Definitely worth a return visit.