Four to Eight, Covent Garden.

As I have done so many times eating out in London I walked straight past the door of Four to Eight. Things in the Untied Kingdom are a lot closer together than in Australia, some kind of reverse conceptual reworking of the tyranny of distance that we embrace in the southern hemisphere. So I often find myself strolling straight past my destination and having to back track, like some lost tourist, sans map, bum bag and camera.

Re-approaching Four to Eight, the signage announced simple Italian food. I developed a love of this food from an early age, paradoxically from a dish that bears little to the true regional cuisine of Italy, my Mum's spaghetti Bolognese. As a 10 year old growing up in semi rural New Zealand it seemed so grown up, so comospolition so, well, exotic. Devastated in later years to discover that this was a poor antipodean version of Italian food and not authentic at all, my fascination with Italian food had already begun. My first cookbook was Marcella Hazan's "Essential Italian food". And although I have grown so much, that book still has pride of place at home in my kitchen, sitting aside my other favourite; Carol Fields "The Italian Baker". These two books defined my approach to food even before I knew I had an approach. I read these books like a novel. Well, more like you would read Marcel Proust for the first time, reading the words but not really understanding any of it. Rereading these tomes, some twenty years later, I was struck with the regionality and simplicity of the food. But, I still remember thinking, as I made Marcella's tomato sauce, that there must be more too it! Surely! But experience proves that simplicity creates the greatest art whether that be food, fine art or music. But baffling enough simplicity or the appearance of it is so hard to achieve.

The food at Four to Eight is delicious. From my first bite to my last, I can assure you, that although seeming quite simple, there is nothing simple about this food at all. It is exceptionally well crafted and displays technique that can only be learned in the best kitchens. If Bocco di Luppo is Ed Sheeran standing alone on stage then Four to Eight is Dire Straits, with all the orchestration, production and polish. Chef Chris Denney, whom I met in the downstairs kitchen after my meal, is the man behind the stoves at this Covent garden eatery. Every mouthful of his food shone with a great understanding of ingredients, flavours and textures, combined with some beautiful plating, a well thought out wine list and professional, yet casual service.

I began with with a glass of Azienda Vinicola Ugo Lequio, Barbaresco Gallina from Piedmont served in excellent stem ware. This northern Italian wine made from nebbiolo grapes was all tart berries with excellent structure, the perfect wine for the food I was about to be served. It arrived with some excellent house made bread and grissini served with walnut butter and extra virgin olive oil and balsamic.

I ordered three courses, all savoury, from the pre theatre menu which is excellent value at 18 for 2 courses and 23 for 3. The first two arrived, as requested, at the same time the Carpaccio of Octopus, romesco sauce, potato salad & pickled shallot and the Heritage Beetroot, pulled burrata cheese & apple. The dish of beetroots wasn't what I was expecting. The beets were pureed and formed the sauce for the burrata, a cream filled version of buffalo mozzarella, which in turn was hidden by landcress, white truffle shavings and broad beans. There was a punchy flavour of mint and the bitterness of the cress to balance the riches of the cheese. This was the dish of the day with flavours, preparation and plating all harmonious on the plate. So good in fact that it nearly over whelmed the other excellent entree of Octopus with romesco sauce. The octopus was cooked, pressed and cut wafer thin, delicate with ocean flavour. This was off set with beetroot crisps, pea tendrills and an excellent romesco sauce. Superb. Next came a smokey BBQ Mackerel Fillet smoked black tomato & pickled red onion. This dish was packed with flavour, the fish was perfectly cooked, oily and tender offset with the smoked tomatoes and onion.

Next came a pre dessert, new to the menu I was informed, of almond merguine with gooseberries. All tart and creamy, it was the perfect prelude to the dessert of Panna cotta with blackberries. Although the panna cotta was scooped it wasn't too firm and was offset by the tart sweetness of the berries and the sorbet. Well balanced desserts that were neither too sweet or sharp. An excellent double espresso and I was done. Bravo.

Four To Eight - 1-5 Catherine street, London, WC2B 5JZ

http://fourtoeight.com