Review: Dinner at Latium
Style Points: 2/5
Price: ££
Overall: 4/5
Buried in a back-street a few minutes’ walk from Oxford Street, down a road of tall anonymous office-type buildings, Latium doesn’t look like much from the outside, but as you open the door, the staff pull back a curtain and welcome you into a warm and inviting atmosphere.
Whilst the décor left something to be desired (the restaurant opened in 2003 and the interior quite possibly has not been updated since then), the engaging friendliness of the staff meant that we did not even notice this until seated and sipping our first drink.
Would I Want Seconds?
Greeted with a selection of breads, oil and olives, we immediately felt at ease with the staff who assisted us in choosing an aperitif and a bottle of wine to complement our chosen dishes. We informed staff that we were both vegetarians and they were happy to let us know which dishes could be altered so that we had a wider choice of the menu.
Both my fellow diner and I started with a dish from the ravioli menu consisting of ravioli filled with taleggio, Swiss chard and walnuts, with marjoram. The presentation of this dish was immaculate with four sunflowers gazing up at us from our plates. The interesting fusion of flavours made for a delicious first course with the sweet crunch of the walnuts meshing with the tangy cheese perfectly.
For my main course, I opted for the tagliatelle with wild mushrooms and chestnuts. The pasta was fresh (made daily in the kitchen) and cooked al dente and the mushrooms and chestnuts gave a unique texture. The chestnuts, which I had never encountered before without being roasted, were very sweet and it made for a dish I was not expecting. It was also without a sauce so despite the pasta being quite dense, the food felt quite light.
My partner chose to eat entirely from the ravioli menu and selected the ricotta and lemon ravioli with tomato and basil sauce. Despite it not being presented in flower formation, he was still very impressed with the tomato and citrus tastes creating a contrast of flavours. He felt that the lemony bite lightened what potentially could have been a heavy dish.
The ravioli menu surprisingly continued into the dessert and my partner finished with the sweet chocolate ravioli filled with ricotta, candied fruits, pistachio and orange sauce. We decided that the ravioli itself was unusual and enjoyable however the sauce was used a little too copiously and could be improved by being able to pour it at one’s own leisure. The three ravioli dishes, chosen with the assistance of the staff, all complemented each other very well with the distinctive character of each dish making one forget that it was all ravioli.
I opted for the dark chocolate and almond tart “Caprese” with amaretto sauce which wasn’t quite what I had imagined. I, perhaps naively, believed I would be presented with a chocolate filled short-crust pastry tart with a dark strong sauce. Instead, the dessert turned out to be more like a chocolate sponge with an amaretto cream but was well balanced and delicious nonetheless.
To start the meal...
Ravioli filled with taleggio
Tagliatelle with wild mushrooms and chestnuts
Ricotta and lemon ravioli
Dark chocolate and almond tart
Could I Afford Seconds?
The prices in Latium are on the mid-high end of the spectrum with 3 courses amounting to £35.50 not including drinks. However they do offer a pre-theatre menu available at lunchtime and at dinner, which is competitively priced at £22.50 for 3 courses and ideal to try out the fine cuisine.
Overall:
We both enjoyed all aspects of our meal at Latium ranging from the presentation and taste of the food to the attention given by staff. I have awarded the restaurant a swank factor of 4 as the service and food warrant this and should the décor be updated then it could be ranked even higher.
The fact that we were not made to feel as though the choice was limited for our meat-free preference was a comfort and the flavours created by the chefs in the vegetarian food were creatively thought out and produced. I would say that it would be a mistake to overlook Latium when looking to eat Italian food in London as the quality shows why it has outlasted so many other restaurants attempting to do the same thing. This is not Bella Italia.
Website:
Address: 21 Berners Street London W1T 3LP
Closest Tube Station: Goodge Street