Sandwiched between the sex shops and gay bars of Soho you’ll find an unassuming looking Spuntino – it’s quite easily missable as there’s no real sign (unless you have 20/20 vision). It’s owned by Russell Norman who also owns the Polpo collection of restaurants along with Mishkin’s.
The restaurant is small and slightly squished and everything is very exposed and worn down – very trendy! Stools placed around the edge of the bar seated no more than 26. The buzzy atmosphere at Spuntino more than made up for its lack of comfort. Oh and they don’t take reservations.
The menu was presented on a large piece of paper which acted as a placemat and listed small plates of American belly-pleasing dishes. We decided to order a general mix of stuff which came as and when they were ready.
Some complimentary popcorn served in a camping cup started proceedings and once sprinkled with the chili salt provided, it was delicious.
I wasn’t sure how I felt about the idea of deep fried battered olives (£4) but they were actually quite delightful. The crispy coating gave way to plump and juicy little olives stuffed with some melted cheese – they were right up my street!
The fried chicken (£4.50) was served straight from the deep fat fryer – I still have the blisters on the roof of my mouth to prove it. They reminded me of the wings at Wishbone in Brixton – lovely crispy batter but slightly bland and tasteless chicken with a flabby skin. Not really for me.
The shoestring fries (£3.50) were seriously addictive. The thinnest fries I’ve come across were smothered with salt and had a brilliant crunch to them. I could have quite easily eaten a few bowls of these myself and would strongly recommend one per person!
We ordered two of the pork sliders and one ground beef and bone marrow slider (£5 each). Delicious wouldn’t quite cover what I thought of these mini burgers. The pork was succulent and the bun was soft but the real star of the show was the beef and bone marrow. Served more raw than rare it was absolutely heavenly and the bone marrow added the perfect amount of rich fattiness.
The mac & cheese (£9) was worth every single penny – it was seriously indulgent. The crunchy breadcrumb topping encased the cheesiest and gooiest macaroni cheese I’ve ever tasted. Some leeks were thrown in for good measure so at least I had one of my five-a-day right?!
The waiters who certainly looked very cool and trendy, did their job very well and were attentive and friendly throughout. The food was far from healthy but it definitely hit the spot in terms of yummy flavours. Spuntino will continue to be a restaurant I enjoy going back to again and again.
8/10
