ITRI – The List Eating and Drinking guide 2009

The List – Eating and drinking guide 2009

In July 2008, three like-minded friends upped sticks from Dalry Road’s renowned La Partenope to open up an informal diner on Gilmore Place. Itri is the result, and it is unassuming in the extreme. There are no bells to the dark brown exterior, no whistles on the stucco walls inside – indeed even the menu doesn’t have the pizazz required to raise many eyebrows.

It would be entirely unremarkable in fact, were it not for the kitchen, which produces sumptuous, hearty fare with more honesty and integrity than you can shake a stick at.

In all too many restaurants, tinned beans would be chucked into the tomato sugo for a quick, risk-free bean soup, but not here. Instead the Zuppa Fagioli is prepared from scratch, and cooked over several hours to produce a textured and delicious starter.

Mains come in all shapes and sizes: a smoky, intense carbonara is proper carbonara, with egg rather than cream, while an unusual surf and turf dish of pork fillet wrapped around whole king prawns is fresh, tender and harmonious. Best of all, desserts square up to the rest of the meal, with a light, moist and boozey tiramisu, and a wonderfully sweet-savoury custard and pine nut tart.

• High point: It’s all about the great food
• Low point: So don’t be put off by the décor

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Written by Itri on 20 October 2009 | Posted in