When you find a restaurant you love and can rely on, you may sometimes forget that other fantastic establishments are just waiting to be discovered. Although we were very tempted to return to the Chancery (new menu again!) which we know and love, I thought me and my boyfriend should break out of the habit and try something new that evening!
We were glad we did. Tentazioni is an Italian restaurant, which can be found in a narrow street near Tower Bridge. The first thing to strike me as I entered was the sensual red decor which contrasted with the all white tables and chairs (which were extremely comfortable I must add!), and the sexy theme seemed to continue via the ‘burlesque’ type images on the walls as well as other quirky and colourful art. A staircase within the main dining area leads to a mezzanine area, which is more traditional Italian in its style with brick walls and simple tables and chairs. The two aspects of the dining area mingle to create a cosy but trendy setting.
The name of the restaurant (which means temptation) is reflected in the menu by giving you a wide range of options of real Italian dishes and taking them a step further by using interesting, opulent ingredients. Before we ordered, an amuse bouche of a warm little quiche arrived which put me in the mood for some good hearty food! We both couldn’t resist choosing the foie gras for starter.
Firstly, the picture doesn’t do it justice (my camera was generally playing up all evening, the foie gras was a deep brown colour, the orange in the dish is merely the flash) but I wanted to exemplify with this image the generous size of the portions and the thought that had gone into the dish. The foie gras was a bulky piece of meat, lightly seared to give it that signature silky texture. The flavour of the foie gras alone was enough to justify the slightly steep price tag of £14.50, but its melt-in-your-mouth quality just sent my tastebuds to the moon! The other elements of the dish complemented the star without outshining it. Three pieces of ravioli stuffed with goose meat were a perfect match, the silky pasta outer played on the texture of the foie gras, whilst the inside created a quick burst of meatiness. The mushrooms were flavourful, and again matched the texture of the foie gras, but apart from that did not do very much for me. It seemed the dish was crafted to complement the dish entirely, which was very pleasant indeed but I couldn’t help but wonder how the dish would have panned out (no pun intended!) if some contrasting textures were added to give the dish an extra crunch- and elevate the soft and wispy foie gras to another level!
Continuing in the theme of luxury, I went for the lobster tagliolini next, which I chose from their long hand-made pasta menu, while Tom opted for red mullet with scallops, raisins, parma ham and spinach. I was very delighted when my dish arrived, the portion was HUGE, and I was glad I tentatively chose half of a lobster instead of the whole one.
The dish on the whole was beautifully crafted. Rustically shaped and served al-dente, the pasta was infused with the aroma and colour of saffron before being tossed with artichokes and fresh cherry tomatoes. A generous dollop of black caviar garnished the dish, which I mixed into the pasta to create a sort of extra seasoning; I enjoyed getting a tiny salty pop with each bite! The lobster was garnished with some beautifully creamy butter and was undoubtedly fresh; the meat was easy to get your teeth into and delicately sweet. The chef got the most out of the whole lobster, not just the typically used lobster tail, and I found the lobster claw had the richest flavours. While the sheer size of the dish was unmanageable for me, I savoured every bite that I had and didn’t get bored for a second; that would be impossible with the abundant mixture of flavours and textures the chef has created. The wine list is extensive, and ranges from £13.50 to £99 for a bottle of Italian white wine. Our bottle of wine of choice was a 2009 Salento Bianco, Feudi di San Marzano a fantastic choice by Tom, a professional sommelier couldn’t have done a better job pairing both of our main courses with a bottle of wine! The wine is from Puglia, south of Italy, and consists of mainly the Malaysia grape variety to produce a beautifully full bodied white wine, to compliment our meaty seafood. The subtle honeysuckle overtones pair perfectly with the sweet elements of both our dishes, my sweet lobster meat and the raisins in Tom’s dish while the apple and lemon hints help freshen our palates from the complex mix of flavours in our dishes.
After two big courses and an amuse bouche, the waiter arrived with a dessert menu. While my stomach was telling me no, my curiosity took over and I gave in to temptation and ordered the Chocolate opera cake, “La Scala Milano” served with Espresso Coffee Sauce and 24K Gold. “Have you eaten gold before?” the waiter asked in response to my bemusement and my reply of no ushered a “good luck” from the waiter.
The cake itself was layered with a range of different chocolate elements including what I believe to be milk chocolate mousse, a light chocolate sponge and biscuit jaconde before being topped with a full layer of thin gold leaf. The espresso sauce was a bit too watery and didn’t compliment the base cake while I felt the gold only created the sense of opulence but added little else for the dish. It was a pleasant end to a meal but not as spectacular and theatrical as the menu would suggest.
The overall evening was a success and I’m waiting to return there as soon as the funds allow. While I don’t like to go into detail about restaurants prices, the bill totalled £68, and that’s with a 50% discount on food- and with the likes of foie gras, fresh lobster, saffron, caviar and even gold consumed in one sitting, I can’t help but feel satisfied!
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