Luca, Clerkenwell

Vasiliki, Julian and I recently went for lunch at Luca in Clerkenwell, which made a Thursday feel like a Friday. Tucked just off Farringdon Road, it initially feels like a small nook, but as you walk through it expands into a conservatory and indoor greenhouse space with a fire. Being mid-week, the room was filled with various casual work meetings, something to note if you’re looking for somewhere more relaxed.

The menu leans into Italian-British seasonal cooking, so we started with the parmesan fries, a little treat while you’re scanning the menu. We then ordered the crudo of Cornish bream with agrodolce, winter citrus, fennel and pickled chilli, which was bright, clean and refreshing. The roast Orkney scallops with jerusalem artichoke and ‘nduja followed, rich and perfectly cooked. These were my personal favourites.

We then ordered two pasta courses of course, seeing as it was Italian. We had both the rigatoni with pork sausage ragù, tomato, anchovy and mint, and the ravioli of mazara prawns, St Austell Bay mussels, roasted squid, blood orange and agretti. Surprisingly big portions; we took our time eating these while chatting away. Each one was exceptional in its own right. We then shared the roasted venison with a ragù of porcini, smoked potato, swiss chard and green peppercorn, which rounded things off nicely as a final main. Earthy, a generous portion size, and exactly right for a seasonably cold day in London.

And despite being thoroughly full by that point, we managed a lemon tart to finish. No regrets. If you’re after a reliable, elegant lunch spot in the City fringe that won’t disappoint, Luca is well worth a visit!