Peter Emrys-Roberts
Aldwych is a quirky little croissant of a road at the bottom right-hand corner of Covent Garden, its name being Anglo Saxon for Old Port. The purpose of the road was to create two gradual inclines that horse and cart could use to get up to what is now called Kingsway. Once the headquarters of radio pioneer Marconi, the western corner was rebuilt to a Norman Foster design as the ME Hotel, and perched under its skirts lies Gino D’acampo’s new Italian restaurant, Luciano’s. With a high ceiling and ample daylight through elegant Romanesque arches, it inhabits a great space that has been beautifully designed and fitted out to create a most compelling venue.
Greeted by the smartly dressed front-of-house team (attentive and charming throughout), our seating was unusually generous with small table lamps making the space warm and intimate. Around us were after-work groups, girls on a catch-up night and at least one mother-daughter combo.
Ideally located for theatregoers, its menu is full of familiar choices, making a hurried decision straightforward. There’s an abbreviated and well-priced menu for lunch and early evening but we dined à la carte. And this menu is quite a list – some might say too long.
I started off with Carpaccio di Manzo – very finely sliced beef, parmesan shavings and a drizzle of mayo. It dissolves on your tongue, perhaps under-seasoned though nothing you can’t add yourself.
My guest chose the Calamari Fritti. Scored lengths of squid fried in tempura batter served with charred lemon, which was a very nice touch. They were elegant and cooked correctly though would benefit from the addition of colour, say fine slices if red chilli. It was enduring beige.
For the mains, the guest choice was Pancia di Maiale alla Piemontese (pork belly), which comes with watercress, beetroot and hazelnuts. Theoretically a delicious combination it was sadly let down by the pork being dry.
I selected the Polpette – beef and pork meatballs. The tomato sauce was slightly spicy and delicious, and the meatballs dissolved at the touch. It arrived tepid, but the staff were quick to remedy this.
As sides, we had Zucchini Fritti and Spinaci. The Zucchini were the size of French fries and sadly rather flaccid. Meanwhile, the spinach was gritty and over salted though we enjoyed their use of finely sliced garlic.
A big fan of the wines of Puglia I was glad I chose the Appassimento Negro Amaro, full of black cherry, blackcurrants and frankly, at 14.5 per cent, alcohol.
For dessert, they offer an excellent sharing platter for just £10pp which combines chocolate cheesecake generously topped with pistachios, tiramisú (which was good), and a lovely pannacotta with strawberries. They even give you a cheeky couple of Ferrero Rocher.
Having read various glowing reviews of the pasta and pizzas, and what with it being such an extensive menu we probably got unlucky on a couple of dishes. After all, dining out is a holistic experience and for location, glamour, charming service and generous seating alone, Luciano’s is quite hard to beat.
Related: Viva la thin-crust pizza revolution! Doughnation Pizza launches in Covent Garden
