Le Padelle Restaurant Review – Newington Green

Le Padelle is a new modern contemporary Italian restaurant based in Newington Green. They are dedicated to giving their diners quality and freshly handmade artisan pasta using authentic flavours. They cater for all palettes with a range of gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan options on their menu. Using fresh ingredients, their aim is to make every dish a culinary delight. And I was invited down to see whether they accomplished this or not.

It’s hard to imagine what British food would be like without the influence of Italians. Although I’m sure they’re not very happy about the way we have butchered their dishes. Did you know that you shouldn’t eat garlic bread with pizza or pasta, it would be given as an antipasti. Or that carbonara is traditionally made by cracking a raw egg into the hot pasta at the end. So, I decided to take my Italian friend Marianna with me to get some real feedback.

Le Padelle has a very intimate and cosy feel to it upon entrance and the staff are really welcoming. We were shown to our table which is a lovely marble design paired with orange comfy chairs. The menu includes starters, pasta, pasta al forno, risotti, carne, pollo, pesce, sides, desserts, and drinks. They have an extensive wine list, classy cocktails, spirits, beers, and of course soft drinks and tea and coffee.

WHAT WE ORDERED

To start Marianna chose the Gamberini All Aglio; King prawns with garlic, butter, and white wine sauce. And I selected the Calamari; Fried squid rings served with tartare sauce. The calamari were bigger than I expected and was really tasty. But my god, I can’t explain just how good the prawns were! The prawns were chunky and full of flavour from both the seafood and the sauce. I couldn’t help but dip my calamari in the sauce once I’d tasted it, absolutely scrumptious!

For my main dish I chose Tagliatelle Astice; fresh homemade pasta with lobster, garlic, and white wine sauce. The richness of the tender chunks of lobster felt like an added touch of luxury to the dish. Or is it just me that feels a little bit bouji when I get a lobster dish. The flavours of the lobster complimented the rich and creamy sauce well and was a big hit for me. If you are a fan of seafood, this dish is a like a symphony for the tastebuds.

Marianna chose Paccheri con Salsiccia e Birra; Fresh homemade pasta with Italian pork sausage, pancetta, beer and cream sauce. It sounded like an interesting mix that I wasn’t expecting to see on the menu. The pasta was a little hard and could have done with a little more time to soften. But the flavours were a unique combination, and I could see the appeal. My pasta was cooked just right so I would say this was most likely just a one off for them.

CHOCOLATEY GOODNESS

For dessert I wasn’t the most adventurous with the choice of Chocolate Fudge Cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. You can’t really go wrong with rich chocolatey goodness! The cake was very moist, but my one complaint would be that it needed more ice cream. I find that the ice cream settles the rich levels of the taste and give it more balance. But I’m not about to say I didn’t eat as much as possible of the dessert.

Marianna went for Ravioli Riccotta e Cioccolato; Artisan half-moon fried dessert typical of the Sicillian pastry. It’s stuffed with ricotta cream and chocolate and served with honey, powdered sugar, and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. She absolutely loved the dessert as the ricotta was super creamy and the chocolate topper wasn’t sickly sweet. It had a retro taste of bitterness that balanced the taste out quite well. I tried a bit and despite being surprised it was a hot dessert, really enjoyed it too.

LE PADELLE RECOMMENDATIONS

Le Padelle has an extensive wine collection that has been curated to perfection. They offer the perfect pairing for each dish and a complement to the overall dining experience. I paired the dinner with a few glasses of Prosecco and Marianna had lemonade as she doesn’t drink. I found the prices quite reasonable, starters ranged from £8 to £11, mains £15 to £20, and desserts £6 to £8. All in all, it was a lovely dining experience, and I would recommend booking a table. My top picks would have to be the garlic prawns, lobster pasta, and chocolate ravioli.

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