I rarely review restaurants outside of London, but it was a special occasion, and the Amici menu had me salivating, so I was intrigued. Can a family own ristorante in Kent’s match what I get in London? Was it any good? Time to find out…
Ideal for:
A picky dining party – there is a dish for all palates
A fresh taste of Italy without the air travel
Quiet family dinner or intimate date night
Ambience & Décor
Amici is a family-run venture, and as soon as you stepped in, it felt like that. Narrow, slightly pokey, exposed brick, and trinkets everywhere. It is somewhat comforting as this is what you expect. A clean minimalist look with nouveau art hanging from the walls would have been unnerving. That plus the murmuring from diners gives Amici a homely vibe.
Service
The service staff were young, spritely, and were quite attentive. Over the meal, it was very enjoyable.
Food
Amici’s food ethos is centred around traditional dishes from Veneto, Abruzzo and Sicily region with the use of fresh local produce – a ready-made recipe for success, as some of the local coastal fish is delicious. The menu is really extensive and caters for all tastes, fancies and whims.
To start, the Lunette al Tartufo (Ravioli filled with ricotta cheese, black truffle in a butter sage sauce with parmesan shavings) (see left) was delicious. The pasta was perfectly cooked, whilst not being too thick or doughy. Each ravioli had a generous helping of ricotta and truffle, tempered beautifully by the sage butter, which also added much-needed wetness. The parmesan shavings added flavour depth and texture to the dish.
My main of Taglioni al Nero con Granchio, Nduja e Gamberi (see right) was missing the Gamberi as I am intolerant to prawns, so swapped It out with squid. This was a culinary delight because it all paired so well. Squid ink pasta Is typically bland and savoury, but it was livened up by the Nduja. Squid rings were perfectly cooked and livened up with the wine, lemon and garlic. All of the flavours worked and a massive portion to boot.
The classic Tiramisu (see left) was my least favourite course. Started well with the flavours of mascarpone, marsala wine, coffee and biscuit all coming together in a surprisingly light dish but as you ate further, the marsala had turned the insides into mush and I left it at that point.
Amici is a fantastic family-run restaurant that offers good quality Italian food in quantities rarely seen in London. I am still intrigued at how a restaurant that small can produce a menu that size – guess I will have to come back and taste the standards of the other dishes sometime. Soggy Tiramisu aside, the Overall an easy A rating.
Photos of Amici and more can be found on Instagram here.
Final grade: A
Final comment: Whilst it may not be in the glitz of London, this ristorante is better than most in London. Will return!
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