Please note, La Brocca is now closed. Time Out Food & Drink editors, June 2016.
Food is served in La Brocca’s ground-floor bar during the day, but at 6pm, the pizza restaurant opens downstairs. The staircase from the street looks a bit unlikely, though there’s a friendly welcome at the bottom. The basement has been extended to fill the garden, with the back half a glass conservatory. It looks more cheerful when dark has fallen and the lights outside add some atmosphere.
Pizza and pasta account for most of the menu, but the specials board always includes a few meat and fish dishes. Pizzas have a thin base and generous toppings; the egg on a capricciosa was perfectly soft. Alterations to accommodate children’s palates were met with a friendly ‘of course’ by the warm, patient waitress.
La Brocca isn’t trying to be inventive. It’s an old-fashioned spot that plays well to its fortes. Spaghetti bolognese looked like it lacked sauce, but proved very tasty. To finish, we lingered over dishes of Jude’s ice-cream and a sunken chocolate cake – a warm molten slice of heaven.