Baby octopus and super strength sausage: the Italian restaurant refusing to bow to trends
Italian restaurant 2Veneti is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year by doing things the way they always have, says Adam Bloodworth
How about a great pile of baby octopi for starters? They’re super soft and super controversial, with many chefs believing the animals should reproduce three times before being eaten, to allow each a long life. At 2Veneti, the Venetian-inspired Italian restaurant, I’m served a steaming bowl of cephalopods, much to the surprise of some of the assembled mob of restaurateurs and media gathered here to celebrate the restaurant’s 20th anniversary. As for the octopi, they are delicious, and to be fair, the UK’s population is currently extremely high, so perhaps that gets 2Veneti off the hook, even if they have been on the menu since 2006.
The like-it-or-lump-it approach to what’s on the plate is what’s attractive about 2Veneti, which is way too centrally located and way too good to be under-the-radar. Ever since opening, trade has been steady, although their clientele is ageing and the anniversary feels like the right time to bring in a new audience, with a birthday menu of the classics available all year.
Owner Simon Piovesan comes armed with a dose of what some might call old-fashioned charm, saying his male chefs act like angry women when they get stressed, which feels very on brand for an authentic Italian restaurateur. I’m offered a puzzled look and a glass of lemonade by his wife, co-owner Patrizia, when I say I’m not drinking, although an alcohol-free spritz turns up in the end. The look on the Piovesans’ faces when they open a very good bottle of Amarone is priceless, as was their disappointment when I turned down a glass because of my seasonal sobriety (so Millennial of me to stop drinking in winter).
2 Veneti: a deeply classic Italian restaurant
The menu is split into the classic Antipasti, Primi, Secondi and Dolci. Ox tongue carpaccio is more risky fare for modern audiences, but a signal of their unwavering representation of the Italian classics. It is tough to chew, but interesting nonetheless with cheery dollops of salsa verde. Creamed salted cod is a straightforward classic.
From the Primi plates, an unassuming pile of Bigoli pasta with anchovies and white onion is an exercise in simplicity and provenance. The Gnocchi radicchio monte veronese, a homemade potato gnocchi crafted from fluffy Desiree potatoes roasted on coarse salt and mashed, is outstanding, lighter and springier than any gnocchi I’ve tasted. The cheese is something else: it makes a statement but is subtle enough to let the gnocchi do the talking.
Shiny shards of cuttlefish cut into imperfect rectangles and swimming in black ink were perfectly cooked, served on a bed of polenta. Bollito misto di carni – boiled meat and vegetables – are so plainly served (literally meat and veg) that they feel like another middle finger to trends. This came with homemade condiments: a sweetly sharp mustard, more like a marmalade, and a coarse, hand-chopped horseradish were clearly made minutes before service. Salsiccia extra-strength sausages came too late in the running order (I was stuffed) but cooked in white wine and salt, they certainly pack a punch. I’d like to return and try these with a lighter stomach.
There is obviously a constant roll out of new Italian restaurants in London. Campanelle in the Square Mile has dangerously good carbonara, Satyrio was nominated at our recent Toast the City awards for being an underrated gem and then there are the behemoths, like Liverpool Street luxury shopping and dining outlet Eataly. But these contemporary launches can rarely compete with the charm and warmth of the classic institutions.
It was nearing midnight and the Piovesans had opened another bottle. It was time for me to leave. I liked Simon and Patrizia and I hope they’ll still be serving food that’s unbeholden to trends 20 years hence.
Go to 2veneti.com
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