Covent garden's new italian star: is burro worth the hype?
Conor Gadd, the name behind Islington's beloved Trullo, has landed in Covent Garden, and the question isn't if Burro will succeed, but how. After fifteen years of Trullo's unwavering reign as a London dining institution, Gadd’s new venture arrives with a weight of expectation – and a generous dose of butter, it seems.
A familiar comfort, elevated
Burro occupies a handsome, if somewhat large, space tucked away in Floral Court, a welcome respite from the relentless tourist bustle of Covent Garden. The décor, as one might expect from the man who gifted us Trullo, is understated; a study in ‘unobtrusive beige and taupe with non-jarring bursts of ombre,’ as one might politely describe it. Real tablecloths – a genuine luxury these days – and a staff clearly culled from Trullo’s ranks lend the place an air of reassuring competence.
The menu echoes Trullo's DNA, but with a lean towards the hearty and elegant. The Venetian chicken liver paté, served with a thick slab of bruschetta, is an early standout – rich enough to function as a main course, demanding a crisp white wine or, as my companion Charles wisely chose, a negroni to cut through the decadence. Fried artichokes with bottarga offer a salty, oceanic counterpoint, while the focaccia is a masterclass in texture – glossy, crisp, springy, and utterly moist.
The primi courses showcase Gadd’s skill with simple, high-quality ingredients. Tagliarini with clams and strozzapreti with pork and chilli both demonstrate a restraint that belies their flavour. But it is in the secondi that Burro truly asserts itself. The whole lemon sole, bathed in prosecco sauce, is a revelation, and the vitello al burro—Gadd’s interpretation of veal milanese—is a triumph of buttery, garlicky richness.
However, the braised beef shin on polenta is the dish that truly defines Burro’s ethos: pure, unadulterated comfort food. The polenta, almost completely submerged in butter, provides a silken base for the melt-in-your-mouth beef. It’s the sort of dish that makes you question all your life choices leading up to that moment.
The true highlight, though, is the fettuccine with duck and porcini ragu—a brilliant evolution of Trullo’s famed beef shin ragu. It’s a dish so rich, so silky, so utterly decadent, it’s practically illegal. Served as a generous sharing portion, it’s an indulgence worth embracing.
The question of whether central London needs another Italian restaurant is a valid one. Locatelli, Osteria Vibrato, even a resurrected Jamie's Italian all vie for attention. But Burro doesn’t just compete; it elevates. And the tiramisu doughnuts, a playful reimagining of a classic, are a testament to Gadd's willingness to experiment, even if it causes a purist or two to shudder. They are, undeniably, Blackpool promenade doughnut stalls colliding with a Vespa ride through Bologna—a wonderfully incongruous combination.
Gadd has managed to transplant the refined charm of Trullo into a more central London setting. It’s not merely a good restaurant; it’s a haven – a pocket of sanity amidst the Covent Garden chaos. And the bill, at roughly £70 per head, is a small price to pay for a taste of that serenity.