Tasting Britain
TastingBritain.co.uk - Bella Cosa, Marsh Wall, London
Bella Cosa. Sounds a bit like some kind of mundane pasta chain - but turns out to be a pretty mind-blowing place for Italian fine dining (which is a thing I have just recently become exposed to). Itâs also a pizzeria. Whatâs the score? Two floors, two different offerings. Upstairs lives the restaurant, with a glass front that offers sky facing views of the city. Here you shall find fascinating things - The Wine Room: which sits 14 and does exactly what it says on the label. If I ran this place Iâd call in âThe Wine Porn Roomâ, but as you can tell, nobodyâs let me run a fine dining restaurant yet (and they have their reasons...). On the subject of wine, you probably wouldnât expect it, but Iâm gonna put it out there and say that Bella Cosa have one of THE most comprehensive Italian wine lists in the city - each of Italyâs 21 winemaking regions is represented to one extent or another. They also have an extensive selection of grappa, including an amarone grappa which is, without a doubt, the best grappa I have ever tried.
Downstairs is where you find the pizzeria (with its stone ovens) and the central bar. Thereâs a bit theyâre calling âThe Chefâs Isleâ where you can watch Bella Cosaâs chefs doing their thing in the open kitchen. Kinda like Benihana but I suppose with less culinary theatre. Downstairs stays open a little later than upstairs, closing at 23:00 Monday to Sunday - last orders on dinner upstairs are at 22:00. As you can see, theyâve taken to celebrating alcohol in its many forms by using old Italian beer glasses as vases for flowers, and enshrining expensive bottles of cognac and champagne on the walls. Downstairs also has a âliving wallâ - made up of what looks like ivy or something related to it. Green walls are the shit, in this writerâs humble opinion. Another thing I should probably mention is that if youâre interested in the Italian craft beer movement, these guys have a very large and exciting selection. Head back upstairs to the âartisan beer cornerâ to see what I mean.
One last thing to mention is Bella Cosaâs head chef Kentaro Torii (who by, all accounts, is a pretty talented guy) has had his say on everything from the interior design of the building (though the actual design can be credited to a chap called Francesco Pizza) and the style of the plates used with each dish. Is that a Japanese name you hear? Yes indeed it is. Kentaro was born in Yokohama, but early on developed an obsession with Italian culture and food that saw him emigrate to Florence, where he absorbed the language, the culture and the cooking. He later moved to Sardinia and focused on seafood, before stints in other parts of Italy, and eventually the Micronesian island of Saipan (yup). What do you get with this guy? Presumably, Italian soul and Japanese efficiency. And now heâs in Canary Wharfâs South Quay and weâre very happy to have him...
TastingBritain.co.uk - Bella Cosa, Marsh Wall, London
Bella Cosa. Sounds a bit like some kind of mundane pasta chain - but turns out to be a pretty mind-blowing place for Italian fine dining (which is a thing I have just recently become exposed to). Itâs also a pizzeria. Whatâs the score? Two floors, two different offerings. Upstairs lives the restaurant, with a glass front that offers sky facing views of the city. Here you shall find fascinating things - The Wine Room: which sits 14 and does exactly what it says on the label. If I ran this place Iâd call in âThe Wine Porn Roomâ, but as you can tell, nobodyâs let me run a fine dining restaurant yet (and they have their reasons...). On the subject of wine, you probably wouldnât expect it, but Iâm gonna put it out there and say that Bella Cosa have one of THE most comprehensive Italian wine lists in the city - each of Italyâs 21 winemaking regions is represented to one extent or another. They also have an extensive selection of grappa, including an amarone grappa which is, without a doubt, the best grappa I have ever tried.
Downstairs is where you find the pizzeria (with its stone ovens) and the central bar. Thereâs a bit theyâre calling âThe Chefâs Isleâ where you can watch Bella Cosaâs chefs doing their thing in the open kitchen. Kinda like Benihana but I suppose with less culinary theatre. Downstairs stays open a little later than upstairs, closing at 23:00 Monday to Sunday - last orders on dinner upstairs are at 22:00. As you can see, theyâve taken to celebrating alcohol in its many forms by using old Italian beer glasses as vases for flowers, and enshrining expensive bottles of cognac and champagne on the walls. Downstairs also has a âliving wallâ - made up of what looks like ivy or something related to it. Green walls are the shit, in this writerâs humble opinion. Another thing I should probably mention is that if youâre interested in the Italian craft beer movement, these guys have a very large and exciting selection. Head back upstairs to the âartisan beer cornerâ to see what I mean.
One last thing to mention is Bella Cosaâs head chef Kentaro Torii (who by, all accounts, is a pretty talented guy) has had his say on everything from the interior design of the building (though the actual design can be credited to a chap called Francesco Pizza) and the style of the plates used with each dish. Is that a Japanese name you hear? Yes indeed it is. Kentaro was born in Yokohama, but early on developed an obsession with Italian culture and food that saw him emigrate to Florence, where he absorbed the language, the culture and the cooking. He later moved to Sardinia and focused on seafood, before stints in other parts of Italy, and eventually the Micronesian island of Saipan (yup). What do you get with this guy? Presumably, Italian soul and Japanese efficiency. And now heâs in Canary Wharfâs South Quay and weâre very happy to have him...