Handmade pasta, breezy service and fun are the order of the day at this slick Italian eatery.
A sultry, swinging soundtrack peppered with 1950s rhythms may greet you at what has become a West End favourite, whether you’re at Vin Populi proper or the adjacent Next Door, which is described as a ‘darker, moodier cousin’.
Bocconcino and culatello is never a bad start and, like the rest of the antipasti menu, is fresh, delicate and expertly prepared, showcasing the best of both local and Italian produce. The mains focus on chef Leonardo Crescenzi’s housemade pasta alongside meat dishes such as chicken milanese and porchetta. Linguine alla vongole sees clams tangled with pasta ribbons, generously doused in butter, herbs and bread crumbs, with hints of orange and chilli. Look to the chalkboard for pours by the glass or to your server for a good recommendation. The scene is couples on date night and groups of jovial diners being charmed by attentive waitstaff. Only a few years in, and it seems like the romance here is still very much alive.
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