Fucina, Marylebone: Good food, but better design

Our Tried and Tasted series gives the lowdown on London's newest restaurants
Fucina: Italian dishes in immaculate surroundings
Ben Norum23 November 2017

This highly styled Italian just off busy but boring Baker Street is the latest launch from Kurt Zdesar, a name which might not mean that much to the general public but speaks volumes within the industry.

Back in the day Zdesar was responsible for launching Nobu restaurants around the world, setting up the dim sum chain Ping Pong, and working with Alan Yau to open Hakkasan.

More recently, in 2013, he opened Chotto Matte in Soho and earlier this year launched pokē bar Black Roe in Mayfair. Simply put: he’s got previous.

There are echoes of Nobu and Hakkasan in Fucina’s lavishly designed space, with its doorman-equipped large wooden entry designed with the intention of welcoming London’s great and good.

Snazzy ceiling: Fucina has an extravagant look
Nick Rochowski Photography

A seemingly brick-clad ceiling undulates with upside down hills in a theatrical design move that screams of extravagance, but among the polish an open kitchen and on-display pizza oven reference a more humble approach to Italian food.

The contrast is reflected on the menu, which kicks off with a selection of small plates before leading into bigger pasta, pizza and flame-cooked dishes.

Charred Mediterranean vegetables drizzled with an exquisite aged balsamic, and wood-fired sweet potato served with a little spiced yoghurt and spring onion are incredibly simple, but incredibly good.

Echoing the extravagant ceiling plenty more make use of lobster, fine meats and cheeses and lavish amounts of truffle, with the restaurant showing no fear in duly marking up the price to accommodate.

It’s black truffle which headlines a dish of lusciously creamy stracciatella and delicate red prawns, but the crustaceans which steal the show.

Of the larger plates, breadcrumbed beef milanese with anchovies and lemon is tender and well-seasoned, again simple, but rosemary potatoes which accompany it lack bite. Pheasant, which comes with polenta, is pleasingly robust flavoured, benefitting from its open-fire grilling, but a little scant on meat.

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Service on our visit is incredibly friendly, but less efficient than you would expect given the team’s formal appearance which, for some, includes headsets.

Overall, Fucina is doing a lot of things right and Zdesar has succeeded in creating an attractive and bustling dining destination in an area that long could have done with one. It’s just hard to shake the impression that the precise design was a higher priority than the predictable dishes.

Fucina: The Lowdown

Final flavour: A stylish setting with some assured cooking, but little for foodies to get excited about.

At what cost? Small plates from £7.50, large from £13.75. They rise to £80 for a T-bone steak.

Visit if you like: Novikov, Assunta Madre, May Fair Kitchen.

Visit standard.co.uk/restaurants for the latest news and reviews from London’s food scene.

Follow Ben Norum on Twitter @BenNorum

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