Neal Street Restaurant is a piece of Italy in Covent Gardens

A delicious Calf liver dish. Really fresh.

Their amazing Risotto with white truffle shavings.

The mushrooms from the forest are fresh. Ask for daily specials.

13:28  09 February 2006 Carpaccio a la Neal Street restaurant.

The Neal Street Restaurant is one of my favourite places in Covent Garden. I often come here for a business lunch. It is haute cuisine with a bit of serving theatre. They finish the dish in front of your eyes, mixing the spagetti or carving truffle on the risotto. First I was a bit amused by it, but I have come to like it, it does feel sincere and authentic. It adds to their personal very professional service. The linen is clean, starched and the glasses are clean. When seated you look upon some abstract art on the walls, the light in the place is nice and subtle. It quickly consumes you and you forget the computer with all those unread e-mails and can focus on a nice conversation with your business partner. I like the big mirror at the end of the restaurant, it gives size to this rather small place. Afer 1PM its gets very busy with the Soho media influencers and food lovers. It gets vibrant. It is a bit of a paradox, but it works.

When seated they bring out a bit of bread, fresh olive oil to dip in and most importanly the most amazing olives I have ever eaten. I can only describe them as fresh olives. I have not asked what they are, but make sure you taste them.

They are big on fresh mushrooms and I a good dish is to ask what daily specials they do with the mushrooms. Their tagliatelle with forest mushrooms is very italian. They do a wonderful risotto well wort the 30minute wait. Their Carperese is innovative, with cherry tomatoes lightly grilled with fresh buffalo motzarella. The Carpaccio is great. I have had their calve liver, it is great for those into it.

Their desert list will certainly calm the sweet tooth and build the mass in unwanted areas.

The great service and good food comes at a price, so if you are looking for a casual quick lunch this is not the place. With that said I do think it is value for money. I have been their many times and I do go back.

The Restaurant is the creation of Antonio Carluccio a well know restaurant entrepreneur in London. He has open several Carluccio café, we have one in our neighbourhood. He is not cooking at the Neal Street Restaurant, but italian chef Maurilio Molteni is responsible for the food and he does a good job at it.