Manteca

This restaurant has been on my list for a long time, so I was excited to finally come here for dinner. The space itself is beautiful, but it’s also huge, and I always worry when restaurants have that many covers that service can end up feeling rushed or impersonal. We sat down, ordered a bottle of wine, and after asking for recommendations, settled on the focaccia, cold meat selection, mussels, and mullet crudo. The mussels were probably the highlight of the evening. The sauce was delicious, the presentation was beautiful, and the flavours were excellent. Unfortunately, I was disappointed with almost everything else. The focaccia was drenched in oil to the point of being soggy and unpleasant rather than indulgent. It lacked flavour overall, with only parts having any noticeable salt or rosemary, and mostly just tasted of oil. The fish was chewy rather than delicate and didn’t have much flavour or finesse. The cured meats were enjoyable, but again, nothing particularly memorable or outstanding, I did not like the beef ham but that's a taste thing. What frustrated me most, though, was the service. At no point were we offered a top-up of wine, we were left to pour throughout the meal, which I suspect is a consequence of the restaurant’s size and stretched service. More irritating was how much pressure there was to order quickly. While we were still eating our starters, we were asked whether we wanted anything else. We explained that we’d decide after finishing the starters once we knew how hungry we still were. Five minutes later, another waiter, who already seemed fairly disengaged and slightly dismissive, asked us again. A few minutes after that, he returned to strongly recommend that we order immediately because food might take a long time. This felt completely unnecessary, especially as the starters had already arrived very quickly and the pacing of the meal already felt rushed rather than relaxed or cosy. Once we finished the starters, we were again encouraged to order immediately, despite still having another hour and a half left on our reservation. We eventually ordered the vodka sauce pasta and the beef shin ragout, both of which arrived within about five minutes, making the earlier urgency even more confusing. The pasta itself was tasty, the ragu more than the vodka sauce. I did not like the chilli flakes which had just been sprinkled on and didn’t add any flavour to the sauce itself. Overall, I left quite disappointed. After hearing so much about this place, the experience simply didn’t live up to expectations.

The menu changes every day. We didn’t go super hungry, so it was enough for two of us, but portions are more on the sharing side—especially the pasta, which felt a bit small. The focaccia and asparagus were sooo good. I think the asparagus had an anchovy sauce inside—we loved it. I’d 100% order it again, but if you’re not into salty food, it might be a bit much for you. Same goes for the pasta. We had the crab cacio e pepe (I think that was the name?) and yeah, it was quite salty too. But honestly, we love salty food, so we were obsessed—the sauce was amazing. I feel like this is one of those places you either love or don’t at all, there’s no in-between. We loved it though, would def go again 👍 Ahh and one downside—when you leave, your clothes smell like food. The ventilation could definitely be better. Also, it’s the only place I’ve seen in London that charges for tap water—not very cool tbh.

Sadly, our experience was quite underwhelming overall. The restaurant itself is beautiful and very cosy. It’s a large space, but the layout makes it feel intimate, so it would work well both for couples and bigger groups. The focaccia and ricotta we had to start were excellent and easily the highlight of the meal. Unfortunately, the rest didn’t quite live up to that first impression, especially given the price. The vodka pasta was cooked perfectly in terms of texture, but the sauce felt a little dry. The plaice was nicely prepared, but there wasn’t much to it - very little flesh on the bone, so it didn’t feel particularly satisfying. We also ordered the beans and salad as sides. Both were fine, but the salad felt especially poor value at £7, as it was essentially a very small bowl of leaves. What really affected the experience was the timing of our booking. We were able to book a table for 14:45, despite the restaurant closing at 15:00. As a result, we felt rushed to order, and while we were still eating, the staff had already started cleaning up around us. Everyone was polite, but it made the meal feel awkward and took away from the atmosphere. I don’t think bookings should be offered so close to closing time, as it really impacted what could otherwise have been a much nicer experience.

5 stars Really enjoyed our meal at Manteca in London. The space is great, service was excellent, and the food was outstanding overall. We ordered the focaccia with homemade ricotta: absolutely delicious and a perfect starter. Then moved on to the pasta and fish dishes, and everything was cooked beautifully with fantastic flavours. Every bite hit the spot. Great atmosphere, attentive staff, and top-quality Italian-inspired food. Highly recommend if you’re in the area… we’ll definitely be back!