Bermondsey’s Antico

A lot of restaurants describe themselves as charming, which can be a little daunting for prospective visitors. Running a restaurant on the basis of charm is like running a car on orange squash. It’s a nice idea but is not going to get you very far. Having a welcoming atmosphere in which to eat is far better than feeling that you’re taking up someone else’s table. But it’s no use if the food in a place is terrible, as it makes the occasion when a waiter comes round and asks if everything is all right that much more grating. I’ve never been anything but polite when this question is asked but it’s so much worse when you’re barely able to look at the waiter whilst nodding like the coward that you are.

Fortunately the food at Antico in Bermondsey is good enough to give you reason to be sincere and honest when you’re asked your opinion. Antico is a lounge bar as well as a restaurant, with live music played every two weeks. The restaurant is light and airy, making it just the right time of year to go along.

I started with the squid and prawn fritti whilst my companion went for the aubergine carpaccio with balsamic dressing, olives, parmesan and chilli. The fritti were a mixed sort with the squid working well but the prawn less so. Deep fried squid works because squid itself has little in the way of flavour, allowing the batter to provide the flavour. Prawns however, have much more to offer and deep frying them robs of their taste. As Bill Hicks once said about British cooking, ‘First off, you don’t boil pizza’.

My companion was much more effusive about her aubergine carpaccio, which she reported as being a wonderful blend of flavours.

For main courses, I plumped for the ribeye steak with marinated grilled zucchini and peperonata. My companion chose the tuna steak with a medley of sautéed vegetables. The combination of the zucchini and steak was a surprising success and only really let down by the over-salted steak. My companion’s tuna was pleasingly flavoursome and was paired off well with the vegetables.

Antico has a lot going for it in terms of what it offers. The service is knowledgeable and informed. Its location makes it ideal for a spot of food down by the river, which means that it won’t just have to get by on its charm.

Antico
214 Bermondsey Street
Bermondsey
SE1 3TQ

Tel: 020 7407 4682