La Collina Italian Restaurant London UK Review
Best Italian Food Homemade Pasta & Romantic Dining Primrose Hill NW
Jun 28, 2009
La Collina in North West London's leafy Primrose Hill is a charming and romantic Italian restaurant serving a menu of authentic recipes from all over Italy's Southern regions, in a warm and friendly atmosphere. Opened in 2006 by restauranteur GinoTaddei who also owns Cibo in Kensington, a long-time favourite of London's glitterati. His newer offspring is now firmly established as a popular choice amongst the North London cognoscenti.
Top Food and Good Value at La Collina Restaurant
Fresh food and homemade pasta cooked with passion and pride by young Chef Salvatore Simeone and his lively enthusiastic team will give most of the top Italian eateries in London a run for their money. Indeed the menu is such good value at seven pounds for starters, ten pounds for pastas, thirteen pounds fifty pence for mains and five pounds for desserts that it is no wonder that this is a choice foodie favourite for locals, politicians, celebrities and diners who want excellent food without attitude!
Dine inside in the airy room or outside on the terrace on a warm summer's night . Big juicy green olives arrive at the table and a home made basket of foccacio and Sicilian crisp bread. A salute of respect to the diner and a nod in the right direction for the promise of a good meal.
Starters and Vegetarian Dishes on the Menu
Pietro the manager and head waiter of the restaurant willingly offers advice to diners if asked which regional specialities to choose on the menu: From the starters highly recommended is a Veneto recipe; Asparagi alla Bassane, crisp asparagus with finely chopped egg and fresh mature shaved parmesan giving the right balance and full-bodied taste to a dish that would work just as well as a main course for vegetarians. A Sicilian recipe, Insalata di Fave Cipolla e Caprino; a salad of broad bean, onions and goat's cheese although a rich combination the carefully combined ingredients remain light to taste. A Burratina con Rucola e Pomodorini, a specially imported creamy Apulian mozarella with wild rocket and cherry is pleasantly flavoursome and the Carpaccio di Agnello con Carciofino e Parmigiano, a marinated lamb carpaccio with baby artichokes and shaved parmesan cheese although unusual and well liked by this reviewer may not be to everyone's taste.
Main Courses, Home-Cooked Pastas and Risotto
Main dishes on the menu are equally impressive. From Umbria, the Gnochetti Neri in Salsa Calamari; homemade black ink dumpling with squid in a light tomato sauce really takes flight. Aromatic and bursting with rich intense flavours the moist dark rich little potato balls with morsels of meaty squid lifted and sweetened by the sauce.The risotto with mussels and squid is no shrinking violet. Fresh seafood and unusually light, airy rice which the chef cooks without cream is such a wonderful surprise rather than the typical soupy recipe so favoured by most Italian restaurants. For diners who prefer meat as a main course the well cut lean rack of lamb, juicy and tender cooked with rosemary and garlic served with fresh spinach and potatoes is simple and wholesome.
There is no need to stand on ceremony with the wines at La Collina there are plenty to choose from all sensibly priced but the house wines are excellent. A fresh and fruity Rosata 2008 vinage La Ferla at six pounds a glass and 16 pounds a bottle and an excellent red 2007 hundred percent black d'avolo grape at five ponds a glass and 15 pounds a bottle also from the La Ferla family made good companions with all the starter and main course dishes.
All La Collina's Desserts are Homemade
Desserts at La Collina are refreshingly light and all homemade. A sweet serenade of lush chocolate and vanilla ice cream, fruity mango and strawberry sorbets with pineapple carpaccio, meltingly creamy tiramisu and a feather light home-made fresh moulded Panna Cotte with cream and berries which would make the fussiest foodie fall in love!
Another Visit to La Collina
Having returned to La Collina for a second time the food was again wonderful and the service impeccable. The terrific seafood risotto and spaghetti with clams equally as delicious as the first time reinforcing first impressions that dining at this wonderful eatery is one of Primrose Hill's greatest pleasures.
North West London can indeed sing the praises of this truly top Italian restaurant!
Price per person is £25 plus service. The address is 17 Princess Road, London NW1 8JR. It is advisable to book in advance especially on weekends. For reservations telephone 020 7483 0192.
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