Back to East London again for hip eatery, Lardo. Tucked between London Fields and Hackney Central, besides cult bakery and pasta pop-up Pophams, this disco-balled, industrial Italian is the Italian love-child of former Bistrotheque manager Eliza Flanagan. There are a lot of restaurants a bit like Lardo: think pizza, pasta, short wine list, a smattering of cocktails, coffee and a selection of ice creams and sorbets. But not many pull of this familiar formula so well. Lardo, then, simultaneously feels very familiar, and yet innovative.
The restaurant’s look is retro-industrial basic. All the money likely went on the great, bejewelled pizza oven that is showcased against the metal-framed window. You can watch the pizzas being fired if you choose to sit on the stools around the open kitchen; otherwise there are closely packed but not cramped tables. Industrial-style windows, plenty of wood, and lighting that’s so low most people need to use the tealights to read the menu, make for a stylishly casual setting.
Though a small menu, the pizza is mighty and the small plates are not to miss. Service can be slow so it’s worth putting in your orders early (and/or booking an early sitting). With an 8pm table booked on a Friday, each of our dishes arrived successively, though the waiter kindly brought us a chilli margarita to enjoy whilst we waited.
The first of our small plates to eventually arrive was worth the wait : Roasted Romanesco, with cauliflower puree, hazlenuts and red endive (£9). With just the right levels of bitter and nutty notes, the puree provided a creamy finish and the cauliflower was fresh yet well roasted. Winter veggies at their best.
Also not to miss is the Broccoli Reuben (£8) made with aioli, cornichon, parsley, rocket and radishes. Taking the classic flavours of a Reuben sandwich, it’s simultaneously refreshing yet wholesome. A welcome dose of greens to the evening.
The star of the small plates, though, is probably the Polenta fries (£8) served with an addictive basil mayo and truffle oil. A crispy exterior and melt-in-the-mouth inside, these bites tick all the fried boxes.
Despite the restaurant’s name (which refers to the cured fat usually found at the back of the pig), the kitchen is able to make vegan-friendly pizzas. I went for a marinara with wild mushooms and spinach. Though a long wait, this is a combo you can’t really go wrong with. Though not really very Neapolitan, the base was light and well charred. The pizza oven is clearly doing its job.
Hackneyites love this place – rightly so – and cram in from breakfast to late, so it’s wise to book (for an early sitting).
Lardo, Unit 3, 201 Richmond Rd, London E8 3NJ
Website: http://www.lardo.co.uk/
Rating: ***
Yumtini 