World Foodie Guide

Background:

My foodie boss was the one who recommended Giaconda, although it’s been on the lips of every food blogger since it opened on Tin Pan Alley, or Denmark Street, earlier this year. It’s named after the famous Giaconda Café (a popular musicians’ hangout in the 1960s) and serves reasonably priced French-influenced dishes in a tiny space. Sydney chef Paul Merrony operates in the kitchen, while his real partner Tracey works front of house (his business partner is behind Soho coffee bars Milk Bar and Flat White).

First impressions:

Giaconda is really very, very small indeed, with not more than 30 or so covers. The tables are placed very close together and it can feel quite intimate as you have no choice but to listen in on your neighbours’ conversation. When one of them is Jonathan Powell, your ears are bound to prick up to catch any government-related gossip.

Tips: don’t sit at the table near the door right under the coat hanger. With a few winter coats piled onto it, there’ll be no space for you as well. And lunchtime was packed, so booking is really recommended if you want to secure one of the few tables here.

Menu:

As Merrony broke his arm in an accident, Giaconda had to close for a while, so on its reopening in late November, only the unique ‘One Armed Chef’ Menu was available (the regular Two Armed Chef Menu will return at the start of January 2009). I have to admit, this menu sounded quite appealing. It’s a much simplified version that is manageable with one good arm, with 2 courses at £15 and 3 courses at £18.50 (I’m not sure though if the regular menu offers these 2 or 3 course deals).

What we ordered:

• starter – soup of the day – cream of cannellini bean with greens and ham hock
• starter – carpaccio
• main – grilled tuna with lentil, bread and parsley salad
• main – grill of the day – medium-rare sirloin with braised shallots and chips

My friend assured me that his soup and tuna were delicious, but I can only comment on what I had. The carpaccio was lovely and fresh, but there was far too much mayonnaise on it. A fellow diner saw my dish arrive and was smart enough to order the same, but with the mayonnaise on the side. I would have enjoyed mine far more that way. The steak was cooked as requested, medium-rare, and was a considerable sized slab. I was undecided about the braised shallots (although I left none behind), while the accompaniment of chips weren’t bad, but slightly overdone in my opinion. The quality of the steak nearly made up for this though.

The verdict:

Giaconda is unpretentious and has a charming and convivial atmosphere. It’s also a much more pleasant place to dine at than most other restaurants in Soho. The service was brisk, efficient and friendly (although Tracey appeared rather overworked at times). This generous lunch came to £32 without service charge, while the £1 cover charge per head included fresh bread, olives and unlimited carafes of sparkling water.

The food was interesting, as One Armed Chef menus go, and I look forward to returning to try the regular Two Armed Chef menu, so I reserve final judgement until then.

10 – Perfection, 9.5 – Sensational, 9 – Outstanding, 8.5 – Superb,
8 – Excellent, 7.5 – Very Good, 7 - Good, 6.5 - Above Average, 6 – Average

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Contact details:
The Giaconda Dining Room
9 Denmark Street
London WC2H 8LS
Tel: 020 7240 3334
www.giacondadining.com

Helen Yuet Ling Pang @ World Foodie Guide

Tags: Australian, dining out, food, French, Giaconda Dining Room, restaurant review, restaurants, traveleating