Benoli

A solid Italian dining experience with some real highlights, though not without a few areas for improvement. We started with a couple of starters that were overall enjoyable in flavour, but a bit uneven in execution. The croquettes were slightly dense, lacking the lightness you’d hope for, while with the other starter we had overcooked asparagus and what tasted like artichoke from a jar. The addition of raisins felt a little unnecessary. That said, the flavours were well thought through and enjoyable. For mains we had Ondine with beef cheek and pancetta ragu, as well as Casarecci with porcini mushrooms and stracciatella. These were well prepared and hard to fault from a technical perspective. Everything was cooked properly and nicely balanced, though perhaps missing that standout element that makes a dish truly memorable. The wine was definitely a highlight, complimenting the food beautifully. The main drawback, unfortunately, was the atmosphere. It was very noisy to the point where holding a conversation became difficult, which took away from the overall experience. All in all, a good restaurant with strong fundamentals - a few tweaks and it could easily become a great one.