It would seem, for the cognoscenti or inititated, that C’Alice is THE place to be on a Tuesday night in Fulham, or any other night for that matter.
From the exterior, C’Alice is fairly unassuming. The interior is tastefully decorated with a smattering of contemporary art along the walls.
We loved the bar upon entrance that sets the mood as you walk in. Locals gather at this hub probably because of the fabulously extensive list of Italian wines that C’Alice present and the result is a swinging, lively buzz that permeates the air.
The restaurant at the back oozes a ‘laissez-faire’ attitude and there is a buzz in the low-lit setting with – maybe it’s a Fulham vibe, but we’d pin it down to the sumptuous dishes that are on offer.
The catchphrase: “Everything should be made as simple as possible, but no simpler” rings true throughout our meal. The dishes were fresh and tasty and just so.
Our initiation into the Italian feast started with the Strozzapreti con salsiccia Luganiga e broccoli or Handmade strozzapreti with Italian Luganega sausage and fresh broccoli, as it were and an avocado and asparagus salad.
The strozzapreti was an homage to Italian cuisine if ever there was one: it was neither too rich nor too bland, but a subtle creamy sauce draped the Luganega sausage and broccoli that accompanied the delicious tube-like pasta that is strozzapreti.
The avocado and asparagus salad is worth coming to C’Alice alone for. One might expect a half-anorexic mix-up of the two but instead, one is presented with a verdant mountain of these two ingredients as a large salad. We loved, again, the subtle sauce that seasoned the greens and we also loved the abundance of this salad. A 10/10 without a doubt.
Next up were the Spiedini di pesce (Grilled fish skewers) and Tonno al pistacchio di Bronte/Fresh tuna steak in Sicilian Bronte pistachio crust. The grilled fish skewers were light and sumptuous with a fair range of fish choice: prawns, scallops, tuna and salmon. The piece de resistance was, though, the tuna steak. Cooked to a tender perfection and lightly crusted with moreish pistachio crumbs, this is the perfect dish for fish-lovers in London.
It is worth mentioning the wine list here. C’Alice have managed to collate an impressive array of wines on their wine menu, with wines hailing from all areas of Italy. There are, of course, the standard dinner wines that are a wonderful staple to accompany any meal (a Chianti or Pinot Grigio, for example), but the presence of notable Barolos, as an example, would prove a tough choice for any wine connoisseur. (Perhaps this warrants a visit to the bar for those who live by the ‘practice makes perfect’ way of living).
Our finale was the house tiramisu. Light, fluffy and with a few (unexpected but welcome) chocolate pieces throughout, this was a firm favourite of ours. This classic dessert has numerous variations and the C’Alice edition was one that we ejoyed tremendously.
This is definitely an eatery that you want to try (and will probably become a firm favourite).
Address: 199 Munster Rd, London SW6 6BX
Tags: best italian restaurants london, c'alice, c'alice restaurant, c'alice restaurant fulham, fulham restaurant, italian restaurant london, wine bar fulham, wine bar london
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