Wise Italians say, in the small barrel there’s the good wine.
Well, they can add food to the equation now, for in the back of a tiny, unimposing gelato shop on the Kentish Town Road you’ll find chefs Mustapha Mouflih and Alessandro Altoni cooking up some of London’s finest Italian cuisine.
With restaurants like Le Gavroche, The Ledbury and Sketch on their CV it’s hardly surprising. What is surprising is what they did after such a gilded apprenticeship. Tired of serving a “clique of billionaires” they’ve struck out on their own to allow everyone access to good food without the price tag.
Anima e Cuore, the resulting restaurant, translates as ‘heart and soul’, and the focus is firmly on those elements of the dining experience. The setting may be a windowless, small and unassuming affair but from the moment the chef arrives at your table and explains the daily specials, you’ll feel right at home.
As you’ll hear, each dish is prepared fresh by hand (even the pasta), so the menu changes every day. But considering past offerings have included tuna tartare with avocado cream and cucumber sorbet, black spaghetti and octopus, ox cheek with polenta, and burrata with tabasco ice cream, there’s a pretty good track record to go on.
And the wine list is, well, anything you want; as it’s BYOB.
Better get searching for those small barrels, then…
NOTE: Anima e Cuore is open Tuesday-Saturday, 6-10pm. They’re very popular so book ahead if you can on 020 7267 2410.
Anima e Cuore | 129 Kentish Town Road, NW1 8PB
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