The Décor/Vibe
If you’ve been to the Bancone in Covent Garden, this one is not dissimilar. Marble counters, muted tones, good lighting, and here, a bit of greenery in the shape of a large tree. On a Friday afternoon the large space was bustling; if the Covent Garden location has a hint of tourist, this venue has a definite (unsurprising) vibe of local media.
The Food
This pasta is good! Don’t leave without ordering the silk handkerchiefs with walnut butter and confit egg yolk. The cacio e pepe wasn’t as rich as it frequently is, which was a nice change, and we’ll be back for the squid ink taglioni, and trucioli ‘ondulati’ with vegetable crisps, cauliflower and truffle. To start, it’s the well-sized (aka, small) fried polenta with gorgonzola – small in size, big on indulgent taste – and garlic focaccia. And for some greens, it’s the cime di rapa with garlic and chilli. Not up for pasta? Then check for specials like suckling pig and pan fried stone bass.
The Drinks
The wine list is good – what it lacks in natural and orange wines, it makes up for in choice. The Bancone Cooler (gin, fresh peach, and soda) is a good place to kick things off.
Highlights
As you know, we are suckers for bar dining, and here, they can seat over 90 bar covers. There’s also a private dining room for 12-16 people, which is always hard to come by in this neck of the woods. We say start at Folie, and end at Bancone, taking in the new Golden Square.
