Dashed Expectations at Cafe Murano, Covent Garden
Dashed Expectations at Cafe Murano, Covent Garden
Not all lunches must be ground-breaking, but at Cafe Murano prices they should be
You’d sort of want a £70 lunch to blow your mind. Just a little bit. But at Cafe Murano, although the food is tasty, there are technical errors. And the menu never ventures beyond the well-trodden path of cosy Italian staple food.
So, is it worth the price? In our opinion – no.
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Why do we have such high expectations?
When it first opened 6 years ago, Cafe Murano sparked rave reviews across the board. I read them with relish, imagining how good all the food would be, and was excited to finally book in a reservation for myself.
On top of having broadly good reviews at its time of opening, Cafe Murano in Covent Garden is headed by executive chef Angela Hartnett, former protege of Gordon Ramsay. It follows the opening of the same restaurant in St James, both of which are younger, more casual iterations of Hartnett’s original Michelin-starred Murano.
But, from the technical errors we encountered at Cafe Murano, my guess is that Hartnett wasn’t in the kitchen.
Pasta is the best thing to eat at Cafe Murano
Lunch at Cafe Murano is never going to be a light affair, especially with all eyes fixed firmly on the pasta. Thankfully, it’s the best part of our meal here.
There are just four types of pasta on the menu, and you can order a small or large portion, depending on if you want it as a starter or main. We all opt to have small plates, to leave room for fish and meat courses. More on these later.
Although it’s not as well done as at Padella, I like the delicate tortelli, filled with pumpkin and sage butter. The bright orange pumpkin inside is earthy and sweet at the same time, and fresh parmesan tops things nicely. But, I would’ve preferred the pasta to have more bite, and for the sage butter to speak more of the herb.
A friend tries tubes of rigatoni with Italian sausage, and loves it. Each strand is coated in rich ragu, and the small portion is generous for a starter.
My favourite though is the risotto osso bucco. The risotto, yellow with saffron, is sticky and immensely comforting. Chunks of veal are scattered throughout, and imbue the risotto with carnal meatiness. Yum.
Whole plaice with beurre noisette, capers and samphire
I usually love whole plaice. At Cafe Murano, although the first few bites of this soft fish are good, it quickly becomes more of a chore to eat.
There aren’t enough contrasting flavours or textures to keep things interesting, and the beurre noisette could be better. The fish skin is also a bit on the soggy side.
Lamb rump with aubergine, pine nut and pickled golden raisin
Hubby enjoys his lamb rump, pink inside with a nice char. However he’s not a fan of the aubergine and pickled raisin accompaniment. “Something’s missing”, he ponders for a minute and then says “garlic, probably garlic”.
Whatever it is, something’s not quite right, and it should be.
A friend orders the veal t-bone, but it arrives tougher and less rare than she requested. Again, it’s more of a chore to eat than a pleasure. The borlotti bean ragu accompaniment is also a touch too salty.
Overall thoughts of lunch at Cafe Murano, Covent Garden
It’s with dashed expectations that I cross Cafe Murano off my list of restaurants to visit.
It hasn’t been a bad meal – it’s just not worth the money. There are other, better places in London, where more money really does equal a better experience. This is not one of those places.
Is the food at Cafe Murano Halal?
Cafe Murano don’t serve halal meat. They have halal fish and vegetarian options if you’d like to visit.
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The Details
Cafe Murano, Covent Garden
Address – 36 Tavistock St, Covent Garden, London WC2E 7PB
Website – Sexy Fish, Mayfair
Phone – 020 7240 3654
Nearest Tube – Covent Garden
Disclaimer – the halal food status note for Cafe Murano is true at the time of writing. Please phone or email the restaurant before you make a booking to double check the halal food status and anything around cross contamination.
