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REVIEW: Polpo, London – A Dinner Of Venetian Small Plates

With its menu of Italian small plates, excellent flavour combinations and candle-lit, relaxed ambience, Polpo is one of my favourite options for a casual dinner in London. 

I’ll admit I’ve been to Polpo a few times before. The Soho restaurant is in my top five when it comes to tasty food that won’t break the bank.

Prosecco bar sign at Polpo, London
Prosecco bar sign at Polpo, London
Bar at Polpo, London
Bar at Polpo, London

With several branches in London plus another in Brighton, something is clearly working. Polpo’s creator Russell Norman’s formula is all about stripped-down interiors, flickering candles, exposed brickwork, and weathered furnishings. It’s not stiff or polished, quite the opposite in fact, and that’s what makes the experience so comfortable.

I’ve always liked the romantically congested feel of the Soho and Covent Garden restaurants. At 6.30pm on a weeknight it was around half full, and what was interesting was the diversity of people that chose to dine there. Couples on dates, a group of gay guys, parents with two kids in their early twenties, a Spanish couple who gabbled away next to us, and several groups of girls catching up after work. Talk about a mix!

Snapping my meal at Polpo, Notting Hill
Snapping my meal at Polpo, London

Polpo’s menu of Venetian tapas or “cicheti” (snacks) is large, with a focus on quality ingredients and classic Italian flavour combinations. There are meatballs, pasta, pizzas, salads and a wonderful list of small plates featuring everything from prawns and sea bream, to roast pork loin and steak. Hungry, we opted for a bit of everything, and while we waited for the first dishes to arrive, enjoyed a couple of cocktails.

Cocktails at Polpo, Notting Hill
Cocktails at Polpo, London

Prices are reasonable, with arancini starting at £2.50 and crab and chilli linguine topping the price list at £12. First up, we enjoyed a small dish of marinated baby octopuses, which were surprisingly flavourful. I’d expected a strong pickle taste but there was more to it than that. Fennel seeds packed a strong aniseed flavour and the marinated red peppers and strands of fennel really added to it. What a great start to the meal.

Marinated baby octopus at Polpo, Notting Hill
Marinated baby octopus at Polpo, London

From here on dishes arrived in quick succession. The lamb and mint meatballs were super-meaty with a dense texture, and while the mint was barely there, perhaps it was just that the tangy tomato sauce overpowered it.

Lamb and mint meatballs at Polpo, Notting Hill
Lamb and mint meatballs at Polpo, London

The tenderstem broccoli and chilli pizza was really fresh, with just-cooked iron rich broccoli and spicy red chilli dotted on top. There was no tomato sauce, but part of the beauty of Polpo is mixing dishes together, and we enjoyed dunking the base in the meatball sauce!

Broccoli and chilli pizza at Polpo, Notting Hill
Broccoli and chilli pizza at Polpo, London

I’d had the zucchini, parmesan and basil salad before, and knew it would complement our menu well. The raw courgette and greenness of the salad really soaked up the oils and flavours from the other dishes.

Zucchini, basil and parmesan salad at Polpo, Notting Hill
Zucchini, basil and parmesan salad at Polpo, London

The roasted sea bream with grilled fennel, brown shrimp and capers was one of our favourites. The white fish was cooked to perfection and bathed in an acidic lemon-based sauce with the pickled flavour of the capers cutting through the buttery fennel. The brown shrimp added a kick of seaside flavour. It really was wonderful, and we polished off every last drop of the sauce!

Sea bream with fennel, capers and brown shrimp at Polpo, Notting Hill
Sea bream with fennel, capers and brown shrimp at Polpo, London

The generous portion of chilli and garlic prawns arrived last, served on a large bed of rocket. As I peeled them, salty, garlicky and spicy aromas filled the air. They were so moreish, if only I had more space!

Garlic and chilli prawns at Polpo, Notting Hill
Garlic and chilli prawns at Polpo, London

To accompany our meal we enjoyed a bottle of house red – Polpo Rosso Corvina 15 (only £19) which was branded with Polpo’s famous octopus logo. The Venetian wine was easy to drink and worked well with the variety of flavours on our plates.

Red wine at Polpo, Notting Hill
Red wine at Polpo, London

I really enjoyed the characterful waiting staff. From a number of different countries, they were friendly and helpful throughout our visit.

More dishes arriving at Polpo, London
More dishes arriving at Polpo, London

For dessert we shared a panna cotta with blackberries and ricotta doughnuts with blood orange jam. Served in a short glass, the panna cotta was deliciously creamy, topped with a layer of sweet blackberries. Meanwhile, the blood orange jam that accompanied the small sugar-dusted doughnuts was absolutely divine. It was sweet, spicy and tangy all at once – it reminded me of Christmas!

Dessert at Polpo, Notting Hill
Dessert at Polpo

I’ve always gone down the sharing route at Polpo, as there’s something so enjoyable about the medley of flavours and textures. However, the couple next to me ordered large dishes of pasta and that was it. It’s a restaurant that works whether you’re starving or just fancy a light bite… and perhaps that’s part of its success? That, and the lovely atmosphere, relaxed décor and top quality of food. Not a bad combination really is it?!

I was invited to review Polpo London. As always opinions are my own. 

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With a passion for food, fun and adventure, Chloe is the content creator behind one of the UK's top travel blogs Wanderlust Chloe. From volcano boarding in Nicaragua, to sailing around Sicily and eating her way around Japan, her travels have taken her to some of the coolest spots on the planet. Named Travel Influencer of the Year in 2022, Chloe regularly works with a number of tourism boards, producing inspirational travel content across multiple platforms. Find out more about Chloe here.

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