Forty Dean Street has been in Soho for 17 years and if you’ve managed to survive for that long then you must be doing something right! The small Italian restaurant serves pizza, pasta and a selection of main dishes. Inside the decor is wooden and simple, albeit a little dated compared to its modern, flashy neighbours which isn’t necessary a bad thing.
To start the Pan Fried Tiger Prawns, Cherry Tomato and White Wine Sauce were fresh, meaty prawns covered in a thick, tasty tomato sauce. Mussels in Spiced Tomato & Garlic Sauce weren’t so good – at least half of the shells hadn’t opened which was a real shame as we lapped up the tomato sauce which had a real kick to it. A garlic pizza bread was a large slab of freshly baked bread with a strong garlic taste, although perhaps a little too heavy on the salt.
Chicken Milanese with tomato spaghetti was a huge crumbed chicken breast, the crispy texture worked well with the rich pasta sauce. The Homemade Ravioli filled with Fresh Lobster Meat & Bisque Sauce was the winning dish, soft cooked pasta crammed with juicy lobster and served in a creamy, rich sauce – just like mamma used to make.
The house wine was good value and perfectly drinkable and the food was mainly fresh and tasty – our only grumble was the service which could have been a little quicker, but hey we were in a hurry that night, it don’t mean everyone else is. Check out the all day Set Menu just £12.90 for two courses.
40 Dean Street, Soho, W1D
www.fortydeanstreet.com