The Zetter Restaurant London

3 1 Reviews

Italian in London - Clerkenwell
86-88 Clerkenwell Road , Clerkenwell, London, EC1M 5RJ
+44 (0) 20 7324 4455
http://www.thezetter.com

At the Zetter restaurant, fresh seasonal ingredients are used to create modern takes on classic Italian recipes, accompanied by an extensive wine list sourced from around the world. Pop in at any time of day to enjoy anything from a quick panini and espresso at breakfast to a four-course dinner with friends or family. Or enjoy a cocktail at the curvaceous black-marble bar and soak up the atmosphere around you, with large windows for watching local life go by, and outside tables on St John's Square during the summer months. The Zetter has two private party rooms, catering for parties of between 10 and 50 people.

Tags: chic, clerkenwell, hotel, italian, modern italian, pricey, stylish

The Zetter Restaurant London Reviews

andrew w.

26 reviews

Close but no cigar - Ahhhh no, it's one of those classy Italians on the pricey side that should be really good...except that Italian food doesn't lend itself to *fine* dining - as in big plates with small, perfectly formed portions of beautifully finished and imaginative dishes on them.

This is Zetter's problem. At £8 per starter, £16 per main course and £4 for a vegetable side dish the bill racks-up almost as quickly as a fancy French bistro and you're into £60 - 70 per head, more if you mix in aperitifs, digestives and possibly go large on a couple of bottles of wine... you can walk away with £100+ each if there's four of you for a proper slap-up.

Which would be OK were it not for the fact that seafood risotto, roast skate, grilled lamb etc. with small quantities of rocket or salsify, spinach or polenta is neither fine enough or plentiful enough to really justify the price. To me, the attraction of Italian food is simple dishes prepared with amazing ingredients. It's about big portions and big flavours. No matter how you try to sell it, a small bowl of seafood linguine or risotto is never going to have the impact or the volume to justify the £8 price tag. It's not fois gras, or oysters, or rare local meat or hand-dived scallops...

Similarly, the wine list is good but has relatively few Italians and lots of New World and French... which doesn't really map onto the Italian menu that well. The Italians are good but a bit pricey... again, Italian wine is all about big flavours and keen prices - you shouldn't have to drop £40 on a bottle to get the good stuff.

The venue is vibrant and very attractive. The staff are professional, the setting has noise and bustle, perfect to get intimate or rowdy without drawing too much attention to yourself. The bar is great and all in all it's a great place to eat. It's just a shame you can't get a huge plate of antipasti and a big bowl of spaghetti for £25 with a zesty bottle of Verdicchio...

I'd recommend the Zetter - you couldn't say the food wasn't good - but for the money I think there's more fun in cheaper Italians and more flavour in equivalently priced French and modern British eateries. If you love Italian and want to go upmarket without getting into the tourist traps like Quaglinos, this is a good place to overspend on small portions of very good Italian food. 10-03-08

Tags: chic, clerkenwell, hotel, modern italian, pricey, stylish

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The Zetter Restaurant London

The Zetter Restaurant London Reviews

andrew w.