What’s the draw?
Soho institution 40 Dean Street is equal parts talent and tale. Restaurateur Nima Safei’s eatery lives up to the street from which it takes its name. Safei – nicknamed the Duchess of Soho – put his F&B prowess into practice, creating a greatest hits playlist of classically hearty Italian cuisine.
The menu comprises elevated family favourites. From the bruschetta to Caesar salad, Safei plays to the cuisine’s strengths.
What to eat?
Perhaps a better question is, ‘What not to eat?’. The menu, a passion project of its owner and chefs, demonstrates a deep awareness of the medium in which they are working. Italian cuisine leaves ingredients nowhere to hide, and at 40 Dean Street, they need not. From carnivore-pleasers like the slow-roast pork belly and the bresaola carpaccio to vegetarian plates of aubergine parmigiana and wild mushroom gnocchi, each dish creates harmony from its separate parts.
The lobster ravioli is 40 Dean Street’s signature dish, having graced the menu since its opening in 2010, but a devilishly truffle-laden ricotta ravioli is also a must-try; there was no food envy among the vegetarians at the table.
What to drink?
In line with its food menu, which elevates classics, 40 Dean Street has a proudly curated collection of house cocktails, from an aptly named Picante to a perfectly bitter Blood Orange Martini.
For the cocktail-averse, there is also an extensive list of primarily European wines, starting at a particularly reasonable £8 a glass. And, as any self-respecting Italian restaurant and Italian restaurant-goer must have (and subsequently) imbibe, there are plenty of liqueurs and digestivi too.
