September 2015 - Food
Where to Eat This Month - Anima e Cuore
From the outside, Anima e Cuore appears to be a gelateria and café. But the tiny restaurant at the back (22 covers only) serves – at very low prices – Italian food that can stand comparison with the best in the capital.
This stretch of Kentish Town Road has had an influx of high-quality eating and drinking places, but it is still not a place where you’d expect to find cooking of this quality. And the restaurant itself looks unimpressive, with essentially non-existent decor and an amateurishly presented menu. But some extraordinary food makes you forget everything else.
Daily specials of ravioli are a key feature here, and we ordered both. One filled the silky pasta with baccalà (salt cod) and accompanied it with a perfect rendition of the Venetian classic ‘sarde in saor’, fried sardines in a vinegar-based marinade. In another, the filling was three cheeses and the sauce a light but flavourful duck ragù. These were as good as any pasta dishes I’ve tasted. Anywhere.
There is a fish and a meat special every day. When we visited the meat was shredded ox cheek, cooked sous vide (sealed in a plastic pouch and poached in a water bath for 48 hours), on a bed of creamy, cheesy white polenta. This was one of those dishes that make you dread the moment when the plate is empty.
Save room for dessert. The own-made ice creams and sorbets are of exceptional quality; try the chocolate or banana sorbet and the hazelnut, vanilla or pistachio ice cream. Baked goods are equally distinguished, especially a chocolate tart of thrilling intensity. Each dessert is served with a flavour-complementary ice cream.
From the outside, Anima e Cuore appears to be a gelateria and café. But the tiny restaurant at the back (22 covers only) serves – at very low prices – Italian food that can stand comparison with the best in the capital.
This stretch of Kentish Town Road has had an influx of high-quality eating and drinking places, but it is still not a place where you’d expect to find cooking of this quality. And the restaurant itself looks unimpressive, with essentially non-existent decor and an amateurishly presented menu. But some extraordinary food makes you forget everything else.
Daily specials of ravioli are a key feature here, and we ordered both. One filled the silky pasta with baccalà (salt cod) and accompanied it with a perfect rendition of the Venetian classic ‘sarde in saor’, fried sardines in a vinegar-based marinade. In another, the filling was three cheeses and the sauce a light but flavourful duck ragù. These were as good as any pasta dishes I’ve tasted. Anywhere.
There is a fish and a meat special every day. When we visited the meat was shredded ox cheek, cooked sous vide (sealed in a plastic pouch and poached in a water bath for 48 hours), on a bed of creamy, cheesy white polenta. This was one of those dishes that make you dread the moment when the plate is empty.
Save room for dessert. The own-made ice creams and sorbets are of exceptional quality; try the chocolate or banana sorbet and the hazelnut, vanilla or pistachio ice cream. Baked goods are equally distinguished, especially a chocolate tart of thrilling intensity. Each dessert is served with a flavour-complementary ice cream.
Between them, proprietors Mustapha Mouflih and Alessandro Altoni have worked at restaurants including The Ledbury, L’Anima, Sketch and Le Gavroche. It shows. Anima e Cuore means heart and soul, and the owners have clearly thrown theirs into the restaurant. Ignore the setting. Anima e Cuore may be diminutive in size, but it’s a giant when it comes to quality. My rating 9/10.
129 Kentish Town Road
London
NW1 8PB
London
NW1 8PB
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