| Ambiance: |  (3 / 5) |
| Service: | (3.5 / 5) |
| Value for money: | (3 / 5) |
| Pizza: | (3.5 / 5) |
While working on Saturday night, I got talking to an Italian at the bar and as soon as I mentioned my upcoming trip to Italy and business idea, he was interested in hearing more so we agreed to try out a pizzeria and talk business. Sartori was the pizzeria/Italian restaurant of choice as it’s in many guides as serving one of the top ten pizzas in London. It also benefits from a wood fired oven. It also turned out remarkably easy to find, in one of the hottest tourist spots, literally a stone’s throw away from Leicester Square tube, it couldn’t have been in a better location.
The décor and design of the place is nothing special but you’re greeted with such enthusiasm, that any slightly negative thoughts of the interior design are forgotten. Largely because of its location, it was near enough fully booked so it had a great background hubbub and atmosphere. By the front door, there’s an antipasti section with a great selection of chargrilled zucchini, artichokes, sundried tomatoes etc. so I chose a plate of artichokes, which were served with some freshly made ciabatta. The bread was actually surprisingly delicious, so much so that we pretty much got through four big slices.
I wasn’t overly enamoured by the menu. Presented as a solo piece of laminated A4 card, it didn’t look very appealing but I guess for such a touristic location you don’t need to worry about these things. As we’d come to try the pizza, we ignored the ‘pesce’, ‘paste’ and ‘carne’ sections and ordered a Rustica (Italian sausage, wild Italian greens) but on a tomato base, rather than the Bianca. We also ordered the gatto di patate as a side dish (mozzarella, bacon and potato cake). We chose a very easy drinking Pinot Grigio from Venice, and then a fuller bodied red from southern Italy to follow. Safe to say, by the end of the meal I was definitely getting my business figures muddled up!
Say formaggi!
Sartori’s wood fired oven was hidden away downstairs, which surprised me as you’d think for that kind of investment, you’d want it more as a centrepiece for customers to see as soon as they stepped into the building. It’d definitely be an incentive for me to go inside if I’d seen that through the window. Anyway, our pizza came, divided into two (nice touch) and looked pretty good. It was one of the larger pizzas I’ve had since being in London, and its sides were puffed up and charred and the toppings were generous and colourful.
I joined the 2 halves together for picture purposes :)
Despite it being a yummy pizza, the dough definitely wasn’t one of the best I’ve tried. It tasted fairly pancakey, almost like it’d been made with eggs and after tasting the Italian sausage, we realised it was just a standard, possibly cheap sausage you’d get from a supermarket. So, in summary Sartori’s pizza definitely didn’t match the expectations we’d gone in with. The potato cake was okay, pretty much just a load of stodge but I enjoyed it. It went well with the sausage on the pizza, I ended up with something similar to a micro portion of bangers and mash!
Overall, I left Sartori satisfied and a bit tipsy, but wouldn’t go back again. However, the service was great, and because they were all Italian it made the place a lot more authentic. Although they did have a few issues understanding me at times, but then again I do have a habit of speaking fast.
Recommendation
Extra Information:
Address:15 Great Newport St, London WC2H 7JE
Phone: 020 7836 6308
Website: http://www.sartori-restaurant.com/
NTK: Don’t go for the house white, it’s not good – for only £3 extra, the Pinot Grigio is a delicious wine. Also, make sure to go downstairs to get a view of the wood fired oven!
