One of the fascinating aspects about eating out is observing who flocks to which restaurant, and what they’re wearing. In some cases it’s obvious; you’re not going to go to lunch at old school Le Gavroche in flip flops any more than you would have dinner at fashionable Hakkasan in tracksuit bottoms. But at other times, without prior knowledge or a formal notice on a website, how do you know how to dress for the occasion?
Given that Enoteca Turi has been going since 1990, well-heeled Putney locals are aware of how they must turn themselves out for a meal here. For those hailing from other corners of London it’s not so easy, because as affluent as SW15 is the high street is littered with casual eateries and bars where no one would bat an eyelid if you showed up in a shell suit (possibly). So the dining companion and I arrive in trainers to find a room full of suited men and slingbacked ladies. “Well I’m pregnant” says the pal by way of excuse. However fortunately for us, no one cares.
It’s the first of many plus points of this charming husband and wife-run Italian restaurant. The menu has regional dishes from all over Italy with a slight bias towards Puglia, where the owners are from. The wine list has been similarly curated - owner Giuseppe Turi’s online articles on the subject are well worth a read.
With the starters we get the first of two showstoppers. The sepia cruda is raw cuttlefish marinated in citrus juices and masterfully cut into ribbons that look a bit like tagliatelle, served over tomatoey bread and black olives. Antipasto Pugliese is a simpler dish of pickled vegetables with fava bean purée.
Mains are a ‘hamburger’ made with calves liver sandwiched between two very thin slices of toasted bread from Altamura, a city famed for its bread; the other is a splendid roasted rabbit with pistachio nuts wrapped in a slice of lardo that packs in moisture and flavour. It comes with a bonus helping of braised rabbit and a separate little mound of pan-roasted peppers, the whole thing ensures the courgette fritters ordered on the side don’t get a look in.
Desserts are good too: lemon semifreddo with a gloopy mini-baba soaked in limoncello rather than rum, and affogato with homemade vanilla and pistachio ice cream, but they’re no match for rest of our meal.
All this plus an affable team who know their stuff means there is a lot to recommend about Enoteca Turi - and dressing up is down to you.
