Bancone
Bancone, Covent Garden, London
I’m gunna throw it out into the universe that I discovered Bancone.
It was 2018, Theresa May was dancing to Abba, and I just happened to stumble upon a new little opening in Charing Cross called Bancone. This was long before every Love Islander had instagrammed it to death, and even before Grace Dent described it as “Casually orgasmic and deeply affordable”.
On my inaugural visit I was bowled over by the post-apocalyptic sensuality of its smooth white corners and monolithic marble counter, and how It’s simple menu of modern pasta dishes brought a new flavour to the London restuarant scene.
3 years later and I’m back, without much of a clue why, other than to see if the Silk Ribbons are still on the menu.
The vibe.
If Kim and Kanye designed a pasta restaurant, it would be Bancone. Instantly dividing opinion, what I saw as sexy and minimalist, my friend saw more fitting in A Handmaids Tale. Granted, the concrete walls and flickering single lightbulbs wouldn’t be out of place in a horrifying waterboarding scene, but doesn’t everyone want to feel the full scale of the threat of AI while they sip on a glass of Picpoul de Pinet?
In all seriousness, it would be very hard to describe Bancone as having a strong identity, as there isn’t one to be found. Or maybe that’s the concept in itself- Bancone as the tagliatelle manifestation of 21st century existentialism.
Regardless of the polarising interior, I was surprised to hear my date for the evening describe Bancone as ‘The Ivy of pasta restaurants’. While I wouldn’t quite prescribe the same death sentence, her perception of Bancone as the destination for couples from Surrey was an indication that the restaurant has probably lost some of its mystique since my last visit.
The food.
Notably, the menu has widened its selection of Italian fare - a decision which I believe to be at the detriment of quality. Before you could happily order the entire menu. Now, the broad selection of small plates and pastas suggested that Bancone was pandering to a wider audience, unfortunately diluting the simplicity of its original offering.
We opted for a light starter of Foccacia and Burrata, which was paired with garden peas and marinated cucumber. It was a slightly odd start to proceedings as the focaccia was so sponge like it could’ve won star baker and a Hollywood Handshake. In stark comparison, the burrata was brashly rich and overpowering. As we made a careful incision through the middle of the cheese, I could actually hear the distant mooing of a stampede of cows.
To follow we opted for three pasta dishes to share, and boy did they deliver. Performing a turnaround of Harry Styles proportions, the English asparagus, peas, and broad bean strozzapreti started us off. Giving London 2012’s green and pleasant land vibe from the off, the dense, gnocchi like strozzapreti clung to the well-seasoned trio of greenery. While the unexpected addition of truffle - (I could write an entire on the misuses of truffle) – gave an extra hit to every flavour crammed bite.
Next, an outstanding rosemary & bay braised rabbit with tagliatelle. The white ragu peppered with carrots and sprightly sprigs of rosemary was brazenly simple, celebrating the moreish and tender pork as the clear star of the show. I could see this being served up in many a Nonna’s kitchen in the hills of northern Italy.
A dish that’s so genuinely unique - silk handkerchiefs, walnut butter & confit egg yolk. Bancone’s most famous dish is made up of 3 simple elements. Fazzoletti, which the masterful pasta artisans reel so thinly that they melt in the mouth. A fragrant, nutty walnut butter, and an implausibly perfect confit egg yolk which emulsifies as you take your first tentative bites. Every mouthful is considered, the flavour deepening with every additional bite.
The verdict.
A mixed bag. The pasta stands the test of time, but the other dishes are adding little else. Bancone may have lost some of its sparkle, but i’d still sell a kidney for those silk handkerchiefs.
Was the food stunning 4/5 – The Frock Destroyers of pasta
The vibe 2.5/5 – COVID-19 vaccination centre level of sterility
Scream factor 4/5– Prue Leith’s Victoria sponge focaccia takes the biscuit
Pricey? – still very affordable
Would you recommend to someone you just met at a party –there’s no avoiding it when I force everyone to listen to my off menu - “so my main is really interesting actually… it’s three different pasta’s from three different London restaurants”