Review on Caldesi in Campagna
Giancarlo and Katie Caldesi made their names with a restaurant, caffe and cookery school in Marylebone (not to mention TV jaunts to Tuscany) and went on to launch this new venture in the 'campagna' (affluent Bray, to be precise). Michelin stars are thick on the ground in this neck of the woods, but the emphasis here is on big-hearted rustic peasant food with a strong regional accent.
The interior has been eye-catchingly spruced up with striped fabric wallpaper, a billowing tent-like ceiling, old Italian photographs and a bar salvaged from Sienna. Specialities from Tuscany, Liguria and Sicily (the chef's home patch) dominate the menu: look for corzetti (handmade pasta branded with a wooden stamp), 'scottiglia' (a Tuscan stew packed with game and slow-cooked meats) and pannacotta all'Amaretto con prugne arrostite (Amaretto pannacotta with roasted plums). Other temptations might include green fettuccine with rabbit ragù, monkfish with shrimps, pumpkin and black truffle, and doughnut sticks with Strega crème pâtisserie and Sambuca jam.
Sunday lunch is real family treat, Tuscan-style, with prosecco and crostini to start the ball rolling and a feast of delights centring on meats roasted in an outdoor oven. If that doesn't conjure up nostalgic memories of Italian holidays, the wine list will surely do the trick. Glorious vintages from Tuscany, Piedmont and elsewhere abound and there's hardly a dud among the lot.
Caldesi in Campagna is also featured in: Michelin Guide, Hardens
Rate this RestaurantCuisine
Italian
Chef
Gregorio Piazza
Restaurant Opening Times
Lunch: 12.00 - 3.30pm Tue-Sun
Dinner: 6.00 - 11.30pm Tue-Sat
Accepted credit cards
Visa, Master Card, American Express