‘O ver St James’s

Last Updated on March 29, 2024

Neapolitan classics come to London for the summer

Italian restaurant ‘O ver, with two branches in London, offers diners a sophisticated Italian menu, with the name of the restaurant originating from the word for ‘truth’ in the Neapolitan dialect. ‘O ver’s unique offering to diners in the British capital is that it is the first restaurant in the UK to use pure seawater in its pizza dough. The claimed advantages of using sea water, imported from the Mediterranean, are that the decreased level of sodium, and increased minerals make the pizza dough lighter and easier to digest. As well as the pizzas, all the bread and seafood dishes are prepared using pure seawater. ‘O ver serves a variety of Neapolitan classics, from wood-fired pizzas to pasta sourced from Gragnano on the Amalfi coast, fresh fish from Billingsgate market, and locally sourced meat from the UK. I was pleased to be invited to the smart and stylish St James’s branch to try the varied menu for myself.

We began our meal with a selection of cocktails. The Jalisco Mule with El Jimado Tequila Reposado, lime juice, agave syrup and ginger beer was punchy with the tang of ginger beer, and subtle mint. Our other cocktail, La Grotta Azzurra with Brugal rum, Beluga vodka, blue Curacao, coconut syrup and lime juice was striking in colour, with a sweet taste.

The menu is wide-ranging, offering dishes for every taste. From the Hot Starters section, we opted for the selection of Neapolitan street food to share. This included fiorilli di zucca – deep-fried courgette flower stuffed with fresh buffalo ricotta cheese, smoked mozzarella, Sciacca’s anchovies and black pepper. The courgette flower was delicious, combined with the mozzarella and anchovies for a deep smoky and salty taste. Next on the platter, we enjoyed the crocché –  smooth and creamy mashed potatoes with pecorino cheese, parsley, smoked mozzarella and black pepper. Last but not least on the platter was the sophisticated truffle arancino – a Carnaroli rice ball with black Italian truffle, and Taleggio and Parmesan cheeses.

Our appetites whetted by the fried goodness of the street food platter, we eagerly anticipated our primi, the Tortello Amalfitano. With plenty of local Italian heritage, the pasta dish was made up of handmade tortelloni filled with fresh buffalo ricotta cheese and lemon zest from Sorrento, cooked in a yellow Sicilian ‘Datterino’ tomato sauce with cherry tomatoes and a reduction of Parmesan cheese and fresh basil. Simply exquisite, the tortelloni was the best dish we ate all evening. The sauce was expertly prepared – well balanced with the citrus shining through with each bite. The pasta itself was fresh with a satisfying chewiness to it and was clearly well made. The sauce was bursting with summer flavours and would be well enjoyed sitting on ‘O ver’s outdoor terrace.

We followed the pasta with the secondi of Il Polpo – tender and crispy wild octopus served on a saffron potatoes mousse with parsley sauce and micro watercress. The octopus was also delicious, with a meaty, rich, and charred flavour.

It was then time for us to try the seawater pizza. We selected from the Neapolitan section of the pizza menu the Salsiccia e Friarielli, with smoked mozzarella from Sorrento, Italian pork sausage from Tuscany, friarielli (wild leafy broccoli from Vesuvio simmered with white wine and chilli) and basil. The highlight of the pizza was certainly the friarielli broccoli with the hit of chilli spice and notes of white wine coming through. The dough, with the Mediterranean seawater, was similar in texture to what London’s pizza punters have come to enjoy with the sourdough pizza base common in pizzerias across the capital. The dough was soft and light, and crisp underneath.

For dessert, we enjoyed the tiramisu with thick cocoa powder on top, as well as the cannolo scomposto – essentially a deconstructed cannolo with mousse of organic sheep ricotta cheese with Bronte pistachios and crushed cannolo biscuits.

Looking for something different?  Do check out the newly opened Riviera London restaurant, just round the corner