True Italian soul food - Baccalà, Bermondsey

Baccalà is Bermondsey high street's newest resident, with a firm focus on Italian wine and seafood with dishes based on what is fresh and in season. Headed by Chef Moreno (ex-Four Seasons) and Sommelier Fabio (ex-Oblix), we were invited to try the full monty of their delicately curated menu.  Located a few doors down from the White Cube, it mimics Northern Italy at its most cosmopolitan. A sleek and modern restaurant with a wall-to-floor wine display and marble tones, it is a raw but refined experience – one which I believe is nearly impossible to find in the awfully saturated restaurant market here in London.

Service comes from the lovely Ilanit, Fabio, Moreno, Elif and the rest of the friendly team. The fare is pleasingly simple and delicious, with an imaginative twist on some of the local ‘baccalà-based’ dishes. We sat at the stone-topped counter, where we were introduced to their intriguing ‘Olive Oil’ menu, independently sourced from artisan EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil) in Italy. It was a tremendously unique experience to discover the different characteristics of each oil, differing from one another by their colour, tasting notes (including banana, almond, and chilli) and transparency.

We opted for Baccalà’s wine-pairing alongside our courses, where we experienced a fabulous selection from all 20 regions of Italy – starting from Valle d’Aosta all the way through to Calabria – all locally sourced from small wine producers. As a few of my friends live locally, this has become a very handy place to purchase some fabulous wine as Baccalà also has an off-license.

Our starters were perfect – the beautifully presented fresh salt cod brandade with crispy chicory sprouts (baccalà mantecato con puntarella alla romana), and the silky textured roasted octopus with colonnata lard, marinated bell peppers and basil (polpo arrostito al lardo di colonnata con peperoni e basilico).

Then it was onto the main event. We opted for their maccheroncini sharing casserole with shellfish and crustaceans (pentolaccia di maccheroncini allo scoglio), which was impeccable, silky, simple – it just hit the spot. The salted cod cooked followed swiftly, doused in lashings of EVOO “ragia” and a spring medley of artichokes, olives and cherry tomatoes.

The dessert selection was clean and satisfying – with the choice of tiramisu and panna cotta (which I might add are my two favourite Italian desserts). No fusty and exaggerated garnish, it was authentic and incredibly luscious.

Baccalà is my new favourite South-London eatery for a spot of good Italian soul-food. Bag a table at the counter, and mull over a large glass of Timorasso whilst watching the team conjure up some very trendy dishes in front of you.

I definitely do feel that the food scene is seeing a shift towards the timeless classic family-run restaurant. And I am fully in favour of this cosy phenomenon making a comeback if restaurants start becoming anything like Baccalà .

Thank you to the Baccalà team for a sensational evening.

Eva x

Address: Unit B3, 194 Bermondsey St, Bermondsey, London SE1 3TQ