A quintessential Italian eatery, Mercante is a Venetian inspired restaurant that relies on the premise of delivering high quality food from the market to the table. With a monthly menu on rotation – the idea having been cooked up by Head Chef David D’Ignazio – every appetite can be satisfied – and then some.
We started off with the Salad Caprese and the Lingua (Ox Tongue, Parmesan, Pine Nuts, Capers and Roasted tomato consommé). The salad caprese epitomised Italian hospitality: generous portions. The large mozzarella ball in the middle was surrounded by tomatoes drizzled in an Italiante vinaigrette and Tuscan olive oil. With a pinch of salt, the dish was utterly divine – simplicity at its best and wholesome at that. The Lingua was more elaborate. A cube of ox tongue with parmesan shavings on top was surrounded by a rich consommé, peppered with pine nuts and capers. The consommé provided a rich flavour to the very strong tongue texture. Both starters were a delicious initiation into our Italian evening.
Our main courses were the lamb shank with spinach and the line-caught seabass with puntarella chicory and bergamot. Whilst the portions were small, they were bursting with flavour. The lamb was cooked to a tender and succulent perfection, with subtle spices oozing out of and mingling with the juices from the meat. It was, in fact, so delicious, that we were tempted to ask for seconds! The sea bass was equally tender. On a bed of ‘fish mayonnaise’ and surrounded by vegetables and herbs, it was a light and tasty dish – perfect for the more health-conscious, rather than pizza gluttons out there! It would seem amiss to not mention the pizzas. Whilst we didn’t try these, we greedily eyed our neighbours’ tables, with a vow to return for the sole purpose of trying the pizza and pizzette.
The finale consisted of a fruit salad and the Blood Orange, Vanilla and Hazelnut Zuppa Inglese. The latter, a speciality of the Head Chef, was a creamy pastry-type dessert, surrounded by a Nutella-like Hazelnut dollop and a vanilla coating. As irresistible, as it was filling!
This is a restaurant we would recommend for its quality and appropriate portion sizes that leave you pleasantly replete and satisfied.
http://www.mercanterestaurant.com/
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