In the ever-changing world of the London restaurant scene, it is somewhat comforting to enter an old-school restaurant, where crisp table cloths, polished cutlery and sparkling glasses are still the order of the day. Gatti’s restaurant and wine bar hasn’t been opened for decades but it feels like a part of the fabric of Moorgate. You can easily imagine the dining area filled with office workers during weekdays lunchtime such is its proximity to the numerous multinational firms in the area.
We went on a quiet night in January where their detox menu was the popular choice with diners. Whilst I opted to sample their detox menu, my guest who is a vegetarian opted to find the most indulgent vegetarian options possible; so whether you are a saint or sinner, it is a menu that caters for a wide variety of tastes.
Starters for the health-conscious was thinly sliced salmon with a light lemon and olive oil dressing. Not just fresh tasting, but it also actively helps to lower cholesterol. Personally, I wouldn’t consider buffalo mozzarella with tomato and basil leaves unhealthy, but it actually contains high amount of saturated fats and increases your cholesterol levels. Although, my guest did say it was very creamy tasting and well-sourced.
Marinated cod for the main course only had a very light lemon and butter sauce with healthy doses of carrots and broccoli. Although I did suffer major food envy, as I gazed longingly at my guest’s agnolotti di ricotta e spinaci, which was home-made pasta parcels with ricotta cheese, spinach in an Aurora sauce. You just can’t go wrong with a creamy, garlic tomato sauce liberally poured over lovingly made pasta filled with rich ricotta cheese and spinach.
My guest very ‘kindly’ wanted me to stick with the detox path, hence he helpfully finished off the wonderfully crispy zucchini fries he had ordered.
It’s hard not to fall in love with a classic dessert trolley when you can see all the tempting patisserie on display. They do have a beautiful selection of cakes to choose from, but I did stick to my guns and finished off with a healthy fresh fruit salad.
The detox menu also comes with a choice of vegetable or fruit juices: I had the surprisingly appetising vegetable version with celery, cucumber, spinach and apple.
However, if you are a wine lover, make sure you get manager Franco to show you the spectacular wine storage globe and his love of wines from 2010. Just make sure you don’t talk to him about politics, because it might make for an extremely lengthy dinner.
baldwin@townfish.com