There are some places you go back to again and again. And again. Whatever the reason, you find yourself at those familiar doors all too soon.
Cibo is one of those for me. With all my dashing about, I don’t get the chance to visit often, so when opportunity to be a ‘lady that lunches’ arose, I was there like a shot.
The ‘Lunch Club’ offer here is fantastic – a selection of cicchetti (think Italian tapas), a main and side for £10. Yes, £10. I’m trying to figure out a way to get there and back in my lunch hour.
Being off work, we indulged in drinks that certainly aren’t allowable in a normal lunch hour. The Quarantine is the perfect palate cleanser – gin, cucumber and lemongrass mix into a clean, lightly savoury drink that is just darned pretty.
Keeley indulged her sweet tooth with a Gondolier’s Respite – watermelon, Jack Daniels, blackberry brandy and ginger beer make something sweet and refreshing with a good kick. The perfect to start to a naughty lunch.
Ahead of the main event, we were treated to bread with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, alongside some fat, perfect green olives.
The cicchetti looked (and smelled) stunning – garlicky baby octopus balanced atop a crisp piece of polenta, aubergine balls which smell and tastes like Italy (says Mr GFB), Scamorza wrapped in Spec – the cheese oozing from the surrounding ham, there’s texture and flavour that’s immensely satisfying.
In Venice, these are available in bars as snacks with your drinks and Cibo use local ingredients to create these authentic dishes. Hearing chef Martin Cordwell go from his local accent into fast Italian is something to behold (if you get the chance to say hello, he’s a bloomin’ lovely chap). What you’re getting has been researched thoroughly and made lovingly.
Keeley’s first taste of artichoke went very well, it’s earthy layers wrapped in crisp salty Lardo. For me, the star was the round, succulent ball of veal, tender meat flavoured with porcini, I’m thankful Keeley’s aversion to mushrooms allowed me to have two.
For mains Keeley had selected the ox cheek – sticky gelatinous and rich, it’s slow cooked so it becomes soft and tender and as her side, rosemary roasted potatoes. I ordered trotole guanciale – a pasta made freshly on site, and guanciale? Let me introduce you. It’s a form of bacon using pigs cheek. Before you back away, please, this stuff is incredible. Fattier than normal bacon, it’s rendered down in cooking, but the flavour you get is like bacon with, well, cojones. It’s richer, deeper and with the pasta created something absolutely incredible.
So good, my courgette – fried to perfection – barely got a look in. I didn’t even taste one of Keeley’s crispy looking potatoes and nibbled at a piece of ox cheek, even though I know how good it is.
I ate it all. All of it. It meant I couldn’t eat dessert. Me raving about how fantastic it is means I’ve run out of words to describe the further cocktails we had – the Pesche con Tequila and the Cassanova’s Weakness, heavenly though they were.
I’m sorry. Perhaps I should make a special effort to return for dessert and report back…?
We certainly didn’t get the same service or quality of food, which is a shame. We had OK food that was over seasoned and skitty remarks when we didn’t eat all the risotto. Wine was lovely but we got that platter plate for £10 and didn’t get half as much as you did. There was enough room on the plate that one of the friend balls went flying and they just picked it off the table and plopped it back on the plate. Plus everything- including bread- was deep fried! Not really worth the money IMO
That’s really disappointing. Every time I’ve been, I’ve absolutely loved it. Maybe I’ll try a sneaky visit…
Drelli I am shocked to hear your comments,and would like to investigate the matter further,our customers are our no.1 prioty and I would appreciate the opportunity to discuss your bad experience further,pls contact me at the restaurant.
Martin Cordwell