Taberna Etrusca

sokratis

Excellent Italian 5th October 2009

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This is an excellent spot for a business lunch near the City.
It's got an authentic Italian feel to it with old school posters hung on the walls. You will (expectedly) find quite a few suits, but the atmosphere remains relaxed. One small oddity is the pulpit that the receptionist sits in, but don’t let that put you off 
The thing that impressed me most with Taberna Etrusca was the service. We did go for a late lunch at 2pm and there were many customers left, but the speed that our plates came through was phenomenal. Excellent flow to the meal with a piping hot plate of spaghetti arriving as it should.
Both me and my friend went for £16 two-course offer, which did not disappoint. The deep-fried (sorry, I can’t call it Tempura as it said on the menu, because it’s not) white-bait and prawn was ok, but the Spaghetti Aragosta (lobster or langoustine) was delicious. Very well seasoned and well portioned, it was as good as any hearty spaghetti meal should be.
We didn’t try dessert as I was quite full with the starter and main course.
Overall, a definite recommendation for a simple, decent Italian meal that won’t break the bank and will deliver on quality.

JulesHolmwood

Traditional Italian 15th December 2008

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Established in 1967, Taberna Etrusca is an Italian restaurant in the classic trattoria style, with textured white walls, tiled floors and an open-beamed ceiling. Decorative tiles on the walls are evocative of old Tuscany, while the collection of Ferrari posters are indicative of the owners grand passion and national pride.

The restaurant has a timeless quality. There is a short passage by the side of the restaurant leading to a courtyard to the rear which I understand catches the sun during the summer and is very popular for al fresco dining.

I booked this restaurant for a group of 24 of us to have a meal on my birthday and was very happy with my choice. The restaurant staff were amazing; friendly, helpful and very efficient. I had worked with the events team beforehand to agree a menu which people were then able to select from on the night. Everything arrived quickly, we all got served at the same time and the food was lovely. Plus we had the added bonus that they had live music; the singer, Pete Perke was excellent. Singing a variety of well known songs he danced, serenaded and generally entertained us, whilst allowing us the space and time to enjoy our food and each others company.

This is a great find and a lovely place to get away from the mad rush of London ... so relaxed you could actually be in the heart of Italy!

Formaggio_Amore

Al Fresco Italian in the "City" of London 2nd August 2006

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This is a nice, little Italian restaurant in the financial district of London (City), just off Bow Lane, hidden away from the frantic activity of the main streets. With its outdoors tables in its inner terrace and on the alley-way, it is ideal for eating lunch outdoors.

The food is good, well presented and without fuss. I went there with a friend last week and we had delicious ravioli, spaghetti, bruschetta and pomodoro with a glass of Rose wine each.

Service is good, swift and attentive. Anti-pastis/starters are at around £6-£8 and mains at around £12-£14. Portions are reasonable.

Little downside: they charged us an unexpected £1 each for "covers" -an old fashion, non-transparent and bad pratice you still sometimes find in a few restaurants in London, which I am against. The bill came also with double the charge for the Rose wine but was promptly corrected when I told the otherwise amicable waiter that I have 20 Italian friends in London with "Cosa Nostra" and "Camorra" roots, including a "Capo dei Capi" (Boss of bosses).

Otherwise, highly recommended if you work in the City and want to lunch Italian and/or Al Fresco with friends, colleagues or clients.