Last Updated on February 20, 2025
Eat Like an Italian
4.0 out of 5.0 starsIt’s easy to forget how waves of immigration have had such a positive effect on London. Soho was shaped by incoming communities with the 1860s seeing Italian political refugees finding a home in the narrow streets and setting up restaurants, clubs and cafés. The 1930s onwards saw Italian restaurants such as Quo Vadis, Leonis, Manzi’s and Quaglinos becoming increasingly fashionable with Italian delicatessens fulfilling the culinary needs of adventurous Brits, the local Italian community and my Greek grandmother! Nima Safaei, the Proprietor and Executive Chef of 40 Dean Street continues this tradition.
Safaei is quietly building a little Italian enclave in his corner of Soho with 40 Dean Street, a sister restaurant, 64 Old Compton Street around the corner and rumours of a third joint in the offing. Keeping things local, the restaurants bring in their bread from the local bakery Camisa, and coffee beans from the Algerian Coffee Stores also on Old Compton Street where I used to go with my grandfather in the 1960s.
The interior at 40 Dean Street is warm with a comfortable buzz from happy diners. There is a golden glow from Art Deco globe lights. There are wooden floors, red and blue velvet banquettes, marble tables with bistro chairs. Antique mirrors and porcelain plates adorn the walls alongside elegant floral prints. For the warmer months there are a few alfresco tables.
On arrival, we had a drink at the bar.
From the house cocktail list, we tried a Blood Orange Martini served in some stylish glassware. A blend of Malfy Rosa Gin, Italicus Bergamot Liqueur and lemon it brought together the citrus sweetness of the oranges with the bite of the gin to transport us back to the Amalfi Coast and hot summer days.
To contrast, a Cucumber Coupe (Hendricks, St Germain, lemon, vanilla and Prosecco) had a refreshing elderflower zing paired with the coolness of cucumber.
From the starters menu, we went for the Tempura Courgette Flower ‘filled with ricotta, truffle paste and a honey drizzle.’ This is a classic dish that I love. The flower was encased in a light batter and came hot from the fryer with a sweetish tasty truffle-infused filling. Although a summer’s dish, it was delicious.
The pasta menu looked inviting. Lobster spaghetti came with a generous portion of fresh lobster meat, cherry tomatoes, and a shellfish and brandy sauce. The dish was rich and luxurious but the sauce needed more intensity. By this point in the meal we had moved on to a bottle of Primitivo, Bella Modella from Puglia. It was full-bodied and bursting with blackcurrant flavours like a Primitivo should be. Perfect to lift the spirits on a winter’s evening.
A generous plateful of grilled sea bass came in a lemon and butter sauce and was loaded with prawns, clams and cavolo nero. The fish was full-flavoured, well-cooked and just the sort of dish you would find in a restaurant on the Italian Riviera.
Slow-roast pork belly was beautifully cooked, very tender, and plated with lashings of apple puree, black cabbage, and mashed potato. Winter comfort food Italian style!
We didn’t really need a pudding but couldn’t resist the caffeine and cocoa kick of an excellent Tiramisù given extra crunch by a layer of crushed pistachios. It’s always hard to resist a glass of homemade Limoncello when proferred so I didn’t. It was excellent. The waiting staff at 40 Dean Street are warm and charming. I’ve not been to 40 Dean Street before but I am in Soho several times a week and it is somewhere I will return to.
40 Dean Street
Soho
London W1D 4PX
Tel: 020 7734 1853
Check out our Restaurant of the Month, La Môme, in Belgravia
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