This week I was fortunate enough to be invited to my first Zomato Meet Up at Gatti's. I was silly enough to show up at Gatti's original site in Broadgate. Nevertheless, I was escorted to the new Citypoint restaurant by Nelson, who was lovely. Great customer service before the meal had even begun!
The evening at Gatti's was exclusive to Zomato which meant we had the whole restaurant to ourselves. We had some lovely Veuve Clicquot champagne and canapés on arrival before being ushered to the deceptively large dining area in the basement of the restaurant.
The menu was designed especially for us and we started off by tucking into a selection of bruschettas; cured ham and artichoke, traditional roasted cherry tomatoes and porcini mushrooms. They were crunchy and delicious and the sharing platter was a good way to break the ice between myself and the fellow bloggers at my table.
I mistakenly thought that the mini bruschettas were our starters. However, it was just a way to stretch our tummies before the real thing...
Rigatoni with organic tomatoes and basil. Considering the simplicity of the ingredients, this starter was more flavourful than any other pomodoro I have had.
Next up was something really spectacular. I have only ever experienced salt baked sea bass in other European countries (and most recently in Lisbon) so I was so pleased to find a restaurant in London that can offer the same. Although the sea bass is not on the regular Gatti's menu, it can be pre-ordered.
Although an odd way to describe sea bass, it was very "meaty" and the parsley sauce was a lovely light accompaniment.
Whilst we devoured the above, we were joined by the owner of the restaurant Jenny who gave us an insight into her vision and experience so far. We were also told that Gatti's was named after the late Luigi Gatti - the owner and manager of the first class restaurant on the Titanic.
Apologies for the next photo, but lemon and prosecco sorbet is quite difficult to capture! The prosecco was very subtle and the sorbet was a very refreshing palette cleanser before we moved onto the next(!) main course.
At this point, I was struggling to work out how I was going to manage all these courses in one evening...! We really were being treated.
Ta dah! The photographs do not do this justice. It was fabulous and once again, it was presented to us at the table. It was also good to know that you can come to an Italian restaurant for a really good roast dinner and some Yorkshire puds! Who woulda thought?
The roast scotch rib of beef and Yorkshire puddings were served with broccoli, potatoes and carrots. And yes, I ate all of it.
A selection of little Italian desserts to finish; home made tiramisu, a profiterole, panna cotta with winter berries and cheesecake. I liked the idea of a selection of desserts on one plate. Sometimes one large dessert can seem too overwhelming! My favourites were the tiramisu and panna cotta (which is hiding away in the back of this photo).
The restaurant had a warming, relaxed and traditional vibe with seamless service. I guess the best way to describe it is old school and familial. You can also tell that Gatti's really invest in good quality ingredients. It was obvious throughout each course.
I had a lovely evening meeting fellow foodies and bloggers. The exclusivity of the event made me feel as though I got a really deep understanding of this restaurant and what it is all about. I look forward to my next visit :)
http://gattisrestaurant.co.uk/