La Dolce Vita

Residents living near Sheen Lane, London, SW14 are lucky indeed to have such a fabulous authentic Italian restaurant on their doorstep.  I met a friend for dinner on Thursday evening at the recently opened Zia Pia and really enjoyed the wonderful menu.  The choice changes weekly and if I lived locally I'd have to go regularly, so as not to miss out.  It's rare to eat at an Italian restaurant in the UK and feel transported to Italy.  The menu is relatively simple, based on excellent, seasonal ingredients which are well prepared to showcase their natural flavour.  After our aperitivo of Prosecco served with minted pea crostini, we shared an incredibly fresh whole burrata (the king of buffalo mozzarella cheese with a creamy but firm texture and soft centre).  Served with capers, anchovies and a superb salsa verde with toasted ciabatta, this was a heavenly combination.  Usually I'm not a fan of antipasti but the selection at Zia Pia converted me and included salads with rocket, grated carrot and date, along with slow roasted red peppers, tomato, and fennel, plus two different types of salami served with a dish of mostarda di frutta, not forgetting the black olives.  We then progressed to Spaghetti Vongole which was less than half the price and infinitely better than the rather dry version served at the renowned Bentley's in Swallow Street, London, which I'd experienced two days before (£7.50 at Zia Pia compared to £18 at Bentley's).  It transpires the two restaurants use the same fish supplier.  We'd also ordered a special dish from the blackboard of Melanzana Parmigiana - a gratin of baked aubergine in tomato sauce, which had been slow cooked so that it virtually melted in the mouth.  Dessert was a home made (in the good sense) polenta cake served with a blood orange compote and cinnamon mascarpone.  Having asked advice on the best white wine to accompany the meal, the recommended Santa Barbara from Le Marche region of Italy, made from the Verdicchio grape, was the perfect choice.  The appeal of going to the regular wine events which pair a different wine with each course is tempting to say the least.  The next evening is on Wednesday 15th June and at £45 per head offers real value for money.  As a complete Italophile I'm very happy to have enjoyed the delights of eating at Zia Pia and look forward to returning.  If you're looking for a relaxed, sensibly priced neighbourhood restaurant, serving unpretentious delicious food and an inspired selection of interesting wines, the chances are you'll be besotted by Zia Pia too.  Buon Appetito!