manteca

Completing my tour of the most publicised pasta joints in London, today I went to manteca in Shoreditch. Recently coming in at number 11 in the National Food Awards, manteca is a lively restaurant offering pasta, game and meat dishes. In terms of vibe, it's rather similar to that of its neighbour, BRAT.

Despite all other small plates on the menu, my reason for attending was pasta. I tried two dishes, the first being the fazzoletti with duck ragu and duck pangrattato, pictured above. Fazzoletti are long sheets of pasta, similar to silk handkerchiefs. The dish was sumptuous, the duck tender and subtle. I could have certainly eaten more of it. Now, do I prefer this to the silk handkerchiefs offered by Bancone? If I had to choose, I would go with the latter.

My appetite not sated, I then went for the rigatoni in a chili and kale sauce. Surprisingly, I enjoyed this even more than the fazzoletti, the chili and kale working so well together.

While the pasta was of a high calibre, I found the serving sizes to be on the small side for the price. As such, while I commend manteca on the quality of the food, I believe there are better options for quality pasta at these prices. 

Value for money? £25 for two courses. The servings are small, but the quality is high. A tough one, but I think there's better. 

Would I return? Alas, no. I prefer Bancone.