Pasta Brown

Welcome to Pasta Brown, authentic Italian dining in the heart of London's Theatreland!

Pasta Brown - Italian Restaurant in London

http://www.pastabrown.com

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Restaurant review: Paesan, 2 Exmouth Market, London, EC1 | The ...

Review analysis
food   drinks  

Twenty years ago, the River Café introduced us to the concept of cucina rustica, Italian country cooking with its paste-thick bread-and-bean soups, its dark armpitty flavours.

Now Paesan, a new north London restaurant, brings us 'cucina povera', which translates, not as 'poverty cooking' but 'peasant cooking'; though its owner, Anthony Brown, founder of the popular Pasta Brown establishment in Covent Garden, steers cautiously around the p-word.

It is a truism that the Italians have no equivalent phrase for 'haute cuisine', and that classic Italian dishes, enjoyed all over the world, haven't changed a lot since Garibaldi's day, except in regional variants.

The Piccolo section of small sharing plates includes the Café favourite of anchovy and Parmesan, but done in breadcrumbed crocchette, very light and piquant; a caponata of burrata and aubergine that's gloriously soft and sensuous on the tongue; and grilled radicchio with a strip of hot cheese and a lovely fruity mostardo, half of which was fine, and half burnt almost black.

Provided you're not expecting high-drama (or High-Table) Italian food, this newcomer to bustling Exmouth Market will show you a fine time.

Pasta Brown Restaurant, Bedford St, Covent Garden, London

Review analysis
food   menu  

There are lots of other restaurants nearby: Bella Italia is an expensive place to eat in Henrietta Street, Covent Garden.

It is less than ¼ mile from Pasta Brown, and offers air conditioning, vegetarian dishes, bar, terrace, conservatory, Wi-Fi.

more Porters English Restaurant is a restaurant at 17 Henrietta Street in Covent Garden, London.

The restaurant serves a English menu Covent Garden Grill is a restaurant in Henrietta Street, Covent Garden.

It is less than ¼ mile from Pasta Brown, and offers vegetarian dishes, bar, air conditioning, disabled access.

Pasta Brown, Bedford Street, London | Restaurants/Italian ...

Pasta Brown, 31-32 Bedford Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2E ...

Review analysis
food  

There are two branches in Covent Garden – one in Bow Street and the other in Bedford Street.

Whilst I have gone there towards the end of an evening out drinking in Covent Garden with my girlfriends when we were desperate for carbs without being tempted by chips, it is also somewhere I take the kids when we need a fast bite on the way to the theatre.And fast is the operative word.

I don’t think anywhere else in London could serve up such tasty pasta as quickly as they manage here.

Just like being at home really.The food doesn’t knock you out, but it is good quality although at the expensive end of fast pasta.

For mains there is a large selection of pasta (spaghetti vongole and spaghetti polpette – meatballs – are my favourites both at £9.95 and my daughter loves their lasagne at £9.85, many comment on the linguine langoustine too at £9.75), and pizza (classics and less common options all between £8 and £10) as well as main courses which come with sides (burger £10.45, rib eye steak £13.95, sword fish £12.45 and the all important Escalope Milanese Spaghetti £12.95 – meat with spaghetti and tomato sauce for those who want their meat and their pasta too.

Pasta Brown, West End

"I was with my friend for dinner tonight, everything was fine until the waitress dropped the oil on the floor.

All oli spilled over my new shirt and my hair.

"I was with my friend for dinner tonight, everything was fine until the waitress dropped the oil on the floor.

All oli spilled over my new shirt and my hair.

I didn’t even hear a word, I'm sorry.

Restaurant review: Paesan, 2 Exmouth Market, London, EC1 | The ...

Review analysis
food   drinks  

Twenty years ago, the River Café introduced us to the concept of cucina rustica, Italian country cooking with its paste-thick bread-and-bean soups, its dark armpitty flavours.

Now Paesan, a new north London restaurant, brings us 'cucina povera', which translates, not as 'poverty cooking' but 'peasant cooking'; though its owner, Anthony Brown, founder of the popular Pasta Brown establishment in Covent Garden, steers cautiously around the p-word.

It is a truism that the Italians have no equivalent phrase for 'haute cuisine', and that classic Italian dishes, enjoyed all over the world, haven't changed a lot since Garibaldi's day, except in regional variants.

The Piccolo section of small sharing plates includes the Café favourite of anchovy and Parmesan, but done in breadcrumbed crocchette, very light and piquant; a caponata of burrata and aubergine that's gloriously soft and sensuous on the tongue; and grilled radicchio with a strip of hot cheese and a lovely fruity mostardo, half of which was fine, and half burnt almost black.

Provided you're not expecting high-drama (or High-Table) Italian food, this newcomer to bustling Exmouth Market will show you a fine time.

Restaurant: Paesan, London EC1 | Life and style | The Guardian

Review analysis
food  

As a descendant of actual Italian peasants – the photo of one black-clad great-great-grandmother, clutching a scythe, a patch covering her empty eyesocket and looking like a jovial grim reaper, is a particular family favourite – I approached Paesan with a degree of caution.

Using this as a hook to serve cheap ingredients, massively marked up, to droves of affluent London thirtysomethings leaves as murky a taste in my mouth as Paesan's arancini.

Oh, and how does steak "tagliata" with parmesan and Roman misticanza salad sit under this banner?

Paesan's feel as if they've been made from masticated blotting paper.

I've been waiting for pizza fritta (fried) to hit the mainstream over here: this wonderfully reprehensible carbfest was born in Naples and has become a bit of a thing in New York.

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