Please note, Sardo has now closed. Time Out Food editors, March 2019.
The clue’s in the name: Sardo excels at Sardinian specialities. To come here for eat-anywhere dishes, such as grilled tuna steak, misses the point. But it’s largely thanks to the popularity of Romolo Mudu’s relaxed, welcoming ristorante that characteristic Sardinian ingredients such as fregola and malloreddus are finding their way on to other restaurants’ menus. A generous bread basket and olives are swiftly brought to the table to enjoy while you read the day’s offer – do check the blackboard specials. We were wowed by the chilled zuppa del giorno of beetroot and ricotta flecked with fresh crabmeat. Herb-marinated lamb battuta was tender and dense from the malleting, and meticulously lined from the grill. A special of seafood fregola featured exquisitely fresh prawns and an intense, earthy stock made with mussels. Veal chop with rosemary arrived with a pot of honey on the side to sauce the meat – a surprising and highly successful combination. Service was warm and on the ball throughout. The wine list offers a passionate annotated tour of Sardinia’s best grapes and producers, plus wines from other parts of Italy. Expect powerful port-like flavours from reds such as cannonau, monica di sardegna and nieddera.