River Sniffers - Life on the riverbank
We came, we saw, we were conquered.
The fit-out must have been expensive. Rustic Italian, it has a relaxed, urban feel (if that’s not a contradiction in terms).
Starters were slow-cooked cannellini beans with Tuscan sausage (intense flavours) and prawn and crayfish cocktail (utterly refreshing).
Main courses were tagliolini with crabmeat, and calves liver, both perfect.. We also had a bottle of white wine, Verdeca, Puglia 2008 (approx £16) which was modern, clean and intense, with a long finish.
The service was charming, professional but also relaxed.
All of this will be no surprise to those who’ve been to sister restaurants Osteria Pulcinella and Pincho, those very professional Church Street establishments.
But at Brocca, chef Pasquale Spaziano has raised standards to new levels. Despite the mid-market positioning Riversniffers has no hesitation in tagging Brocca under "fine dining".
You owe it to yourself to go. But book early – the word is spreading.
