Trullo

Islington
Modern Italian

The current vogue for small, tapas-style dishes shows no sign of slowing down. Everywhere you look, restaurants of every type are offering small dishes instead of the traditional starters-and-main format, which is fine by us at it means we get to try more of the menu. Trullo is one such place, offering bite-sized Italian inspired cuisine in a low-key but sophisticated environment.

Upper Street has long been a popular area in London for diners and now the venues are spreading further north with Trullo found just on the other side of Highbury Corner. The venue is compact and cosy on the ground floor, with a more spacious basement level with plenty of hidden corners, perfect for private dining. The decor is a combination of modern and traditional, with exposed rustic brickwork contrasting with chrome fixtures and exposed air ducts.

As the menu is tapas-style, starters are not an option, but we did try some particularly meaty olives and fresh, nutty sour dough bread. The first dish to arrive was roast Jerusalem artichokes with melted Gorgonzola, soft and rich with a definite zing in the sauce. This was closely followed by Aberdeen Angus beef carpaccio, a larger than expected slice of deliciously lean raw meat that melted in the mouth. Shortly after arrived the whole roast quail with chicken liver crostini, rich, gamey meat hidden beneath golden crispy skin. Completely delicious but difficult to share: carving such a small bird was always likely to present problems. More easily shared was the buffalo mozzarella sprinkled with agretti and breadcrumbs, the delicate flavours contrasting nicely with the richness of the quail. The best dish was saved for last however, with the Black Hampshire pork chop, a delicious and flavoursome cut of meat served with lentils and salsa.

Five plates was more than enough to satisfy our hunger, but left just enough room for dessert. The caramel pannacotta was deliciously sticky and sweet but could possibly have benefitted from a little fruit. The cheese plate was small but perfectly formed with taleggio, sweet Gorgonzola and ubriaco - a cheese soaked in wine to give it a distinctive taste. To accompany all this, we recommend the home made rhubarb Bellini, a tart and slightly sour variation on the classic cocktail. Finally, we must also commend the service, the staff at Trullo are some of the most helpful and polite we have encountered and able to make informed recommendations as to what wine would suit the dishes we ordered.

300-302 St Paul's Road, N1 2LH

Average price for main meal: £8 (based on tapas style dishes)
Average price for a glass of wine: £7
Food and drink: 4/5
Service: 5/5
Price: 3/5

WEBSITE / MENU / MAP