Eat & Drink
Originally published on Wednesday, 28th July 2010
Trullo
New Italian trattoria brings River Cafe food to thrifty Islingtonians
300-302 St Paul’s Road, N1 2LH - 020 7226 2733
www.trullorestaurant.com
Location
In a far from glam spot (but don’t let that put you off), on the site of the former Gill Wing Cafe, just off Highbury Corner.
Vibe
Trulli are the cylindrical shepherds’ huts you find in Puglia in the South of Italy, which kind of sums up what the owners of this newcomer are aiming for in terms of good, old-fashioned, earthy simplicity. Jordan Frieda (son of Lulu and hairdresser John), formerly front of house at the River Cafe, and Tim Siadatan (one of Jamie’s original Fifteen chefs who has since worked at St John and Moro), who heads up the kitchen, certainly have the right pedigree to make this kind of place work.
Flavours
Rustic, seasonal and homemade aren’t just words bandied around because they sound good here. The menu is kept short and sweet, the pasta – tagliarini with brown shrimps, zucchini and chili, for example – is freshly made and the proper charcoal grill – on which wild sea trout is currently sizzled and served with lentils, pea shoots and aioli – is always smouldering. But the most delicious bit is that dishes start from around £4 and the wine menu makes you feel tipsy just seeing how moderate their mark-up is (just £10 for each bottle).
Décor
Smart navy blue outside with an Italian trattoria-inspired interior, right down to the paper tablecloths, tumblers for wine and net curtains that run along the lower windows. There’s even the ubiquitous bowl of Sicilian lemons.
Upshot
I love where they’re going with the affordable, rustic Italian food in unpretentious surroundings idea; they use the same olive oil the River Cafe use but drizzle it selectively rather than fry everything in it. Cooking with a conscience - how very modern.
