Bancone, Covent Garden restaurant review

The tagline for Covent Garden’s newest Italian restaurant, just minutes from Trafalgar Square, might be “pasta, prosecco, espresso” – but it’s those first little mouthfuls of arancini from the antipasti that you’ll be raving about, come home time. Created by head chef Louis Korovilas – whose CV lists training under Giorgio Locatelli, at Locanda Locatelli, and Pied à Terre – the arancini arrive as three golden nuggets. Their crisp armour gives way to the lightest rice, still just al dente, no stodge, and bags of flavour – first (on our visit) earthy mushroom, next creamy dolcelatte, and finally saffron with a fiery heart of ’nduja.

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It’s hard not to be mesmerised by the rest of the menu, though, particularly if you sit at the marble-topped, brass-trimmed bar, overlooking Louis and his team at work. Fresh pasta, which is made and rolled upstairs, is flash-boiled before being tossed with any of the 10 sauces on offer. Chitarra – guitar-string like spaghetti – is slicked with cacio e pepe and topped with a crisp, peppered cheese wafer. Oxtail ragu (best ever ragu recipes here), slow cooked for 10 hours until sticky and sweet, clings to bouncy folds of pappardelle. Simple, quality ingredients – the bedrock of good Italian cookery – are shown proper respect. Hispi cabbage is charred and dressed with red chilli, garlic and 2017 Planeta olive oil. Chicory and beans are held up with sweet and sour onions, and a deeply savoury anchovy crumb.

Bancone, Covent Garden

Classic negronis with the right amount of chunky ice and a twist of orange are just as well received as the prosecco, and don’t leave without a palate-cleansing, retro-tastic Amalfi lemon syllabub (recipe below) and granita served in its original host. Holiday vibes for the win.

bancone.co.uk


Bancone, Covent Garden dinner party menu

Chicory with mixed pulses and grains

Check out this chicory salad with lentils, borlotti beans and crunchy panko breadcrumbs. This recipe will make an easy dinner party dish to impress the family. More dinner party recipes here.

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Chicory with Grain Salad Recipe

'Nduja arancini

Try Bancone's crunchy arancini with punchy 'nduja, Grano Padano and saffron. Make these deep-fried golden balls for an easy snack at your next gathering with friends. Check out our best Italian recipes...

Arancini with 'Nduja Sausage

Lamb ragu pappardelle

Check out head chef Louis Korovilas's melt-in-the-mouth pappardelle with indulgent lamb ragu. Plenty more posh pasta recipes here...

Lamb Ragu Pappardelle Recipe

Amalfi lemon syllabub

Make this super refreshing lemon dessert, perfect for a summer time sweet treat. This easy recipe makes more lemony granita than you’ll need – store any leftovers in the freezer.

Lemon Syllabub Recipe

Review by Laura Rowe. Recipes by Louis Korovilas, Bancone, Covent Garden

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