Verdi Italian Kitchen At The Royal Albert Hall | Restaurant Review

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Rather obviously, the first thing you take in when going to Verdi is the surroundings. As gorgeous and historical buildings go, it is hard to beat the Royal Albert Hall. You really do feel like you are dining in a piece of history.

We start off by ordering Mozzarella di bufala with Coppa: Salted, seasoned, dry cured thinly cut pork shoulder from the Mozzarella Bar, where you order either mozzarella di bufala or a burrata along with a side of your choice. I have the Gamberi Con Pancetta: Grilled pancetta wrapped prawns, rosemary, chargrilled lemon.

The prawns are sizzling when they arrive and of a decent size. They are meaty and the pancetta is smoky. It is well seasoned. It is a good starter. The mozzarella is soft and creamy. It has a beautiful texture but could do with more flavour. There is too much rocket and the pork is absolutely delicious but is a little stringy.

We also ordered some bread, which we would have liked to have been a little softer. It came with some good balsamic vinegar.

We also ordered some amazing cocktails: a Aperol Spritz: Aperol, Moët & Chandon, orange bitters, which not only tasted amazing, but also a little like Irn Bru, so perfect for the Scottish amongst us and an IL Verdi: Gin, sciroppo di fiori and pressed apple juice, which was delicious and refreshing.

prawns buffalobarverdi royalalbertcocktail verdicocktail
The service was excellent throughout and the atmosphere was peaceful due to the fact we went in-between shows. For our mains we had Agnello Ripieno: Stuffed lamb breast, white beans, tomatoes, smoked pancetta, spinach, garlic, basil and a Gamberoni pizza: King prawns, asparagus, mushrooms, tomato, mozzarella. The lamb was soft and beautiful. It came in a nice sauce, the beans added texture but the stuffing was just a little bit too spicy. A good meal all in all.

For a side we had Patate Arrosto: Sea salt roast potatoes, sage, garlic. We were not overly impressed. They were okay but not roast potatoes as we expected. The pizza was superb. It had a thin and tasty dough and was just wonderful. The prawns were generous and the ingredients worked together amazingly well.

verdi stuffeflamb gameronipizza cocktailFor dessert we have Tiramisu: Mascarpone, coffee soaked sponge,cocoa, coffee liqueur and I have some Gelato because I am full and mildly allergic to coffee. You get to choose three scoops and I choose chocolate hazelnut praline, natural mint and chocolate chip and lime. The tiramisu is excellent, with a thick layer of cocoa dust and a delicious liqueur soaked base. The gelato is equally as good and the portion is generous.

dessertverdi icecream tea

I would recommend Verdi for good food in a stunning location.

 

Verdi, Door 12, Royal Albert Hall
Kensington Gore, 
London, SW7 2AP 
Tel: 020 7070 4401

You can enjoy fantastic free live music on Fridays from 8:00pm played by popular jazz artists including favourites from Ronnie Scott’s and the 606 Club. Live music will also be performed on Saturday and Sunday lunchtimes. Full list of music dates and performers.