Restaurant Review: Alloro, Dover Street, London

Alloro is an unassuming yet high quality operation, based a small stone’s throw away from London’s luxurious Bond Street shopping district. My father and I were due to dine with our cousin from Italy and his colleagues who had flown over to attend an exhibition. After experiencing the bustling London atmosphere from as early as 6am, all they wanted at the end of a long day was some tasty food and wine at an Italian restaurant. At Alloro, they found what they were looking for.

Being part of the London Fine Dining group which houses such London staples as Zafferano, Memories of China and Edera, it really shouldn’t have come as any surprise to find the fare served up at Alloro to be of an equally high standard. The welcome was warm, communication excellent in either English or Italian (most of the staff are native Italians) and the food of the highest order.

The pricing structure at Alloro is very similar to its sister restaurants, in that there is a certain fee for two courses from the Ala Carte menu and a certain price for three and four. In Alloro’s case, two courses will set you back a not entirely unreasonable £30. This rises in £5 increments depending on the number of courses you wish to have. There are also supplementary costs associated with certain dishes, namely the crab and avocado salad and the spaghetti with lobster. But when you’re sitting at the table, this all seems rather immaterial when the food tastes as good as it does.

One criticism that has often been levelled at Alloro is the formal nature of its interior design and general lack of razzmatazz. While it is difficult not to concede that the interior perhaps doesn’t excite in the way that some other restaurants do, part of Alloro’s charm is its professionalism and smart and clean presentation. When you see whiter than white table cloths with a basket of crusty bread waiting on top with beautiful olive oil, that’s the joy of food.

For my starter I indulged in the pan fried duck egg on asparagus with parmesan shavings and roasted tomatoes. The egg was perfectly cooked and that sensation of sliding the knife over it to make the yolk ooze out onto the wonderful asparagus is one of life’s great delights. The combination of the parmesan with all the other ingredients gave the dish a richness and subtlety that was truly worth waiting for. For my main I gave in to temptation and chose the lobster spaghetti with tomato, chilli and garlic. Fresh white lobster meat with wonderful al-dente pasta and a sublime sauce with parsley is just one of my all-time favourites. I loved every mouthful. After a glance around the table I could see our Italian friends devouring beautiful strips of pink beef on crushed new potatoes. I was assured that this dish, the gnocchi and my father’s seared tuna with tomato and rocket salad were all bursting with fresh flavour. The empty plates said it all.

Only one of us ordered desert but that too was gone in an instant; the torta di mele (apple cake) with ice cream was presented as beautifully on the plate as any of the dishes that preceded it. I will certainly be ordering desert next time.

The wine list is comprehensive and houses some truly excellent treats from Italy’s vineyards, but these are all a little more expensive than they should be when contrasted with other restaurant prices. Another gripe would be that the food certainly took its time to come out of the kitchen, but in the grand scheme of things when the dishes taste as good as they do at Alloro, I was happy to wait.

While Alloro isn’t cheap by any means, what is served up justifies the outlay. This is classic Italian food presented in a modern restaurant style. Accomplished dishes that could be photographed and put on show are the order of the day here, while these dishes stay true to their commitment to flavour above all. Alloro is a quiet and reserved dining affair, but in truth deserves to be shouted about from the rooftops.

Dinner Prices (Lunch is marginally cheaper)
Two Courses for £30
Three Courses for £35
Four Courses for £40
Wines range from £30 to £990
Compulsory Service Charge at 12.5%

Nearest Tube – Green Park on the Victoria and Picadilly Lines