You may recognise the name Belpassi Bros. The meatball maestros and twin brothers (one with beard, one without) started off their journey in a van at Spitalfields but have recently ditched the wheels and the East London postcode and set up shop in a cute restaurant, complete with filament lightbulbs and a bar, just outside of Tooting Broadway station.
The menu focuses on the humble meatball, with a small selection of classic Italian starters including Burrata, a banging pea and ricotta bruschetta and meat plates with soppressa, mortadella, parma ham and bresaola. Ordering your meatballs comes in three stages so you can customise your meal. First off choose the meat you want (beef and pork mix, Irish beef, cherry orchard pork, lamb or token veggie ball kale and chickpea) then the base (rigatoni, chilli greens or polenta) and finally one of their homemade sauces (amatriciana, san marzano tomato or basil pesto).
We went for the Irish beef ball with the greens and the amatriciana sauce and another dish of cherry orchard pork with rigatoni and san marzano tomato sauce with a side of insanely good parmesan polenta chips. We reached peak fullness with an order of tiramisu. Creamy with just the right hit of booze that any fraught Londoner needs after a long day, this dessert is a definite must.
For Italian home cooked comfort food with an edge, the Belpassis are your new Bros.
70 Tooting High Street, London SW17 0RN
www.belpassibros.com