WORDS
ANTHEA GERRIE, VICKY LANE
“My taste of Bologna”
by theo randall
Wright Brothers
Spitalfields
London
| Seafood
Water tanks with your next meal still
swimming inside might be nothing new,
but tanks that replicate the ocean’s
oxygen and salt levels, stocked with 1,400
live shellfish, are. The latter – as the
Wright Brothers’ smart, new East London
offering is proving – can create some
of the freshest, best oysters and seafood
you’ll find this far in from the coast, all
lovingly displayed on the marble counter.
thewrightbrothers.co.uk
Neni Berlin
Berlin
| Israeli
This penthouse restaurant, run by
quirky, Austrian-Middle Eastern brand
Neni, is in the spanking new 25 Hours
Hotel Berlin Bikini, and has fab 360°
views over the city’s famed zoo. Toast
the orangutans while munching on a
Jerusalem-style mezze (think
homemade falafel, fried aubergine,
humus and Mediterranean herb salad).
25hours-hotels.com
The Room
Vienna
| Austrian
This restaurant of the newly opened
Ruby Sofiensäle may be part of a
restored 19th-century public-bath
complex, but it’s anything but wet.
Serving up a fusion of Austrian and
international cuisine in one huge room,
it’s warmed by brass-coloured fabrics
and handpainted tiles from Marrakech.
sofiensaele.com
“you’re very unlikely
to have a bad
dining experience when eating out in
Emilia-Romagna. At least, I never
have. A lot of the restaurants are
family run; with each keeping
their own recipes, methods
and cooking secrets close to
their hearts. It means that
long-used, wonderful
traditions are being
passed down,
along with the
passion, as
owners prepare and serve food
to diners in their unique way.
“What I love about Italian cuisine
is that the ingredients are so
genuine and simple, and
Emilia-Romagna is home to
a large variety: fine Parma
prosciutto ham, Parmiagiano
Reggiano (parmesan)
cheese, traditional
balsamic vinegar....
My favourite food,
however, is
easily home-made pasta. Chef Maria,
at Caminetto d’Oro
(caminettodoro.it)
in Bologna, is a master at it;
Ristorante la Rocchetta
(larocchetta.
pc.it)
in Rivalta and Cantina
Bentivoglio
(cantinabentivoglio.it)
in Bologna also put out a good
feed. Before you tuck in, start with an
aperitif at Caffè Delle Sette Chiese in
Bologna’s Piazza Santo Stefano.”
Theo Randall’s eponymous restaurant
is in the InterContinental Hotel,
London.
theorandall.com
The top chef talks about the highlights of the Italian city, and his favourite region: Emilia-Romagna
Seafood fresh from
the sea at Wright
Brothers Spitalfields
N E W
O P E N I N G S
0 9 0
V I E W P O I N T S
