Last Updated on April 28, 2024
Roman pasta in a chic and modern package
Freshly made pasta is the star in Angel where this contemporary take on pasta is warm unpretentious and inviting.
Emerging from the UK’s longest escalator at Angel Station, Al Dente was immediately visible just a short road crossing away. Nestled next to a Blank Street Coffee, this new addition to Al Dente’s expansion in London shares a clean modern design aesthetic. This 4th location, with others in Goodge Street, South Kensington and Monument is snug and buzzy, and we had a keen view of the open kitchen from our corner seats. Founded by Filippo Giulio Gallenzi and Ivo Poklepovic in 2018, Al Dente of course means ‘to the tooth’, the description for the perfect texture of fresh pasta and our dishes did not disappoint.
We started with a classic glass of Gavi di Gavi La Contessa, from Piemonte, Italy which had a dry minerality that went with our street food style starters.
To eat, an arancini selection, crisp and crunchy and clearly fresh from the fryer although not greasy as the wax paper it was sitting in remained reassuringly opaque. A remix of the traditional arancini, normally filled with a saffron-infused risotto, we had three alternatives to try. The Cacio e Pepe, warmly spiced from a generous helping of pepper; The Amatriciana, sweetly tomatoey with melty mozzarella centre and Beef Ragù, slow cooked and meaty. All paired very well with whipped parmesan butter which was umami, creamy and smooth.
Having returned from Naples only a few months ago we were excited to try our other starter, the Pizzotella Mortadella e Stracciatella: Fried pizza dough with pistachio mortadella and stracciatella di burrata. When we had it in Italy it was literally sold on the street, I am still regularly surprised when ‘Street Food’ is genuinely ‘street’ food at this point. Mild and creamy ham, salty and olive oil smooth Stracciatella with perfectly pillowy pizza dough, this was as if a ham and cheese sandwich had been made by the Catholic church and in a sense, I guess, it was.
We then moved on to a rosé with our mains, the Calafuria Negriamaro Rosato, from Tormaresca Puglia, which had a slight sparkle and the flavours of bitter almond and lemon peel it was a refreshing addition to our pasta.
The classic Fusilli al Pesto was rich, creamy, smooth and earthy, much more than a simple pesto pasta.
While the Paccheri Salsiccia e Nduja was spicy and fruity, it lived up to its Al Dente with a satisfying toothsome bite while also being rich and meaty.
The Spinach and Beetroot Salad, with buttery spinach and slathered in a fresh, sweet and zingy dressing, was topped with a crunchy parmesan crisp, toasted almonds and walnuts.
We finished with dessert. A Canolo Siciliano, a single mega size canolo with a creamy icing vanilla filling and topped with dark chocolate chips, certainly living up to its ‘The Godfather’ fame.
And, to round things off, the Tiramisu, served in a jar, which was light, custardy, with a chocolate-forward sweetness.
Al Dente is a chic local pasta place perfect for a weeknight treat or a weekend splurge with friends. Everybody loves pasta and here, there’s plenty of it to go around with dishes for the adventurous and those who love the classics.
AL DENTE Angel
4a Upper St,
London
N1 0PQ
TEL: +44 20 7870 3248
Email: angel@pastificioaldente.com
Leave a Reply