Quattro Passi London

This was my second meal at Quattro Passi, the London outpost of the Amalfi coast restaurant of the same name. A nibble of julienne of mange tout with ricotta mousse, asparagus water and lemon jelly was pleasant, the mange tout tender, but it was hard to get excited over this dish (14/20). Beef tartare as a further amuse bouche was similar to that at my previous meal. I was impressed by the sea bass carpaccio, the fish having excellent flavour and being carefully cut and seasoned (16/20).

Tagliolini with artichokes and black truffles had good pasta and plenty of flavour from the artichokes, nicely enhanced by the scent of truffle (15/20). Even better was spaghetti with apple and crab, served with red chilli on the side; the texture of the spaghetti was excellent, the crab and apple nicely balanced and enlivened by the chilli (16/20).

Turbot was coated with a crust of mint and ginger, along with courgette cream and seasonal vegetables. The turbot was carefully cooked and had good flavour, the crust adding an extra dimension to the slab of fish (16/20). Suckling pig came with apple puree, black cabbage and mustard sauce. This was the star dish of the night, the pork having superb flavour, the crackling excellent, the apple sauce providing some balance to the richness and the mustard lifting the dish. My only caveat was the cabbage, which was a little overcooked and somewhat bland, but the pork itself was a triumph (17/20).

Tiramisu was as lovely as it was at my previous meal (18/20). Lemon delight came with herb ice cream and a mint mousse: I would have preferred more lemon and could have skipped the sorbet, though the dish was certainly enjoyable and well made (16/20).

Service was superb, friendly and attentive. The bill came to £134 a head, and this is the nub of the issue here. The food is very good, the room pleasant, the service charming: but is it worth £134 a head?

Further reviews: 26th Feb 2014