Locanda 4
Cuochi
Verona
|
Italian
|
From €25
IT MAY BE JUST
around the corner from
Verona's celebrated Arena – the
city’s most venerable and visited
attraction – but Locanda is not your
average tourist trap. Conceived by
double-Michelin-star chef Giancarlo
Perbellini, it’s run by Moreno and
Dario, who create interesting yet
approachable dishes. The crunchy-
skinned suckling pig (maialino
croccante, €15) is popular, as is the
pesto-filled ravioli (€10). Prices,
including the selection of local wines,
are reasonable, although the wine list
includes some exclusive vintages for
special celebrations.
Everything is cosy and relaxed: soft
rock provides a laid-back soundtrack,
while colouring pencils on tables and
pristine paper tablecloths bring out
the artist in diners between courses.
The fact that the restaurant’s two
chefs can often be found waiting on
tables says it all.
12
Via Alberto Mario, Verona; tel: +39
045 803 0311,
locanda4cuochi.it
OSE
Nantes
|
French
|
From €30
DOWN A RESIDENTIAL
side street in this busy fishing port a
90-
minute drive south of Nantes, OSE strikes a modern pose,
with a smart terrace sealed from the elements by clear, taut,
non-flapping polythene. It’s all the pleasure of sitting outside
without any of the bother of wind or chilly evenings.
As you would expect in a town known as the sardine capital
of France, the menu is heavy on the seafood. But this is seafood
with a twist: the local oysters for starters came with a lemony-
orange sorbet; likewise, the feuilleté de sardine, with layers
of tapenade, tomato confit and puff pastry, was served with a
scoop of sardine ice cream that tasted… well, exactly as you
might imagine.
It’s a pleasure to take real advantage of the close proximity
to the sea, by choosing fresh, beautifully cooked, locally caught
fish as a main course. But once again, there’s a clever twist that
arrives with accompanying sweet sauces – vanilla, in my case;
a light chorizo-infused custard in my dining partner's. Here is
place where style and substance are in real harmony: every
dish is imaginatively and artistically presented – even the three
different puréed vegetable side dishes that come served in shot
glasses. And desserts are just as inventive, including a new take
on profiteroles, which saw them virtually turned inside out and
served with a syringe of warm chocolate sauce. It all adds up to
an experience that is as much a visual treat as a culinary one.
18
Avenue de la Plage, St Gilles Croix de Vie;
tel: +33 (0)2 5126 9849
R E S T A U R A N T
R E V I E W S
01
The interior of OSE
02
Feuilleté de sardine,
with sardine ice cream
served in a tin
03
Local huîtres (oysters)
01
02
03
WORDS
LIZ GRANIRER, SARAH LANE
1 1 0
V I E W P O I N T S
