Around Oxford Circus is fast becoming one of the great places to go out and eat. I don’t know about you, but I just found it filled with Coffee Shops and quick bite stop offs for hungry shoppers.
OK so technically what I’m about to tell you about is in Mayfair darrrrling, yet when it’s a 7 minute walk from the tube (Yes I timed it) it’s in perfect shopping distance. That equals Oxford Circus in my eyes.
I was invited down with a few other fellow foodies to Ristorante Fresobaldi, a newly opened restaurant this week.
We were shown downstairs where there is a gorgeous lounge area and most importantly, cheese.
This my friends is a bowl of cheese, but not just a bowl of cheese, but a bowl of cheese made out of cheese! Phew, that’s a mind bend.
I can’t explain how big it was, so here’s a rough idea. Cheese heaven.
Also for all you celeb gossip lovers. Frescobaldi’s sommelier was the sommelier at the recent Clooney wedding. Wow.
Frescobaldi is one of Italy's most famous wine families for the past 700 years. Today the company own nine estates, distribute to 65 countries and has received countless awards for its wine. Not bad eh?
Frescobaldi London is the first standalone restaurant n the UK for the family, which to means that is they have only ever been in Italy before, then you know the food is going to be delicious, as no one can do Italian food like the Italians.
After settling in, and warming ourselves up from the cold, we headed back upstairs into the main restaurant.
The restaurant is a pleasant mix of formal yet chilled.
While crisp white linen table cloths don the tables, and the wine glasses sparkle brighter than Cheryl Cole’s teeth, there is a still a homely vibe to it with the hand painted walls and trinkets.
For the occasion I decided to go all earthy and green. Sadly, nothing is new, however the skirt was a little bargain from Matalan for £8! They've got some great skirts at the moment for the same price, so here you go. Well it is Christmas Shopping season after all.
Soon we took our seats, and let dinner commence.
Being a wine dynasty, we of course started with a gorgeous light wine.
This was beautifully paired with a beetroot and pistachio salad. Now I'm not exactly one for salads, but it was a fantastic sweet dish, which thinking about it was great before a heavy pasta dish.
And like it should, the wine flowed.
Now the main was the star of the show. No one can do pasta like the Italians. Rich but not swimming in sauce, slightly al dente pasta and with layers of herbs for added depth of flavour with juicy lobster. Pure, honest cooking. It's not going to change your life, it's not going to win any awards, but boy do I want more of it. I don't know about you, but sometimes all this arty, farty food- you know thats about the size of my little toe and had a 'de-constructed' something on it- I sometimes just want a good old portion of decent food.
As we eat, we talk. Swapping latest restaurant finds, our peeves of the food world, to the more unusual talk of The Daily Mail side bar of shame. It's rare that it doesn't feature now a days to be honest. I'd love to say we had cultures talks of far flung travels, but no, it was The Daily Mail...
Finally as the evening wore on we ended with a glass of dessert wine- which I know is not the same as normal wine- but guiltily I just love this wine the most.
However if you do have a slightly more refined pallet, this is the place to go. I mean if Frescobaldi, one of Italy's most respected wine dynasty's cant impress you with their wine, then no where can.
Oh and of course ended on cake. Who doesn't end on cake?
Soon we were back out into the night, and walking along a much quieter Oxford Street, marvelling at the Christmas lights. If only I could do my shopping at this time!
Ristorante Frescobaldi London
15 New Burlington Place
Mayfair, London
W1S 2HX
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