Review: Berto, Holloway Road
Gianluca D'Angelo and Claudio Vescovo outside Berto. Picture: Haydon Perrior - Credit: Archant
Pizza and pasta – is there a better food pairing?
Berto opened in Holloway Road this summer. Picture: Haydon Perrior - Credit: Archant
With the founders of pizza stalwarts Zia Lucia opening new venture Berto pasta next door, Holloway Road is everything your Italian foodie dreams are made of.
Berto strikes the perfect balance between homely and hip - casual enough for a quick bite in your comfies, yet chic enough for more of celebration.
Many of the starters had us salivating but we decided upon the melted caciocavallo cheese with homemade red onion chutney, adding on some Dusty Knuckle bread. It was a delicious start which really set us up for the indulgence which was to come.
The all-important drinks list deserves a quick shout out. My boyfriend appreciated the mix of Italian and Islington beers and I was impressed by the cocktails list. I opted for the refreshing 'Hugo', a winning combination of Prosecco, elderflower cordial, soda and fresh mint.
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Onto the mains - and there's no scrimping when it comes to portions. My delicious gnocchi with nduja and melted stracciatella thwarted me despite my very best efforts. Meanwhile my boyfriend's rich tagliatelle with slow-cooked beef ragu went down very nicely. It was impressive to know that gluten free options are available.
True to form, we couldn't resist sharing a dessert. The more-ish crema mascarpone with chocolate and biscuit was creamy (naturally), sweet and yet somehow quite light, in a very good way.
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It says a lot that when the fire alarm went off during our visit, no one seemed to bat an eyelid - us included. But then it's hardly surprising when we're in such good hands.
