Paesan

Italian Restaurant in Clerkenwell
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7 / 10 from 1 review
Address
2 Exmouth Market
Clerkenwell
London
EC1R 4PX
Map
Telephone
020 7837 7139
Cuisine
Italian
Region
Clerkenwell
Nearest Station
Farringdon
0.41 miles
Restaurant Facilities

Outdoor Area

Booking Advisable

The first solo venture from Antony Brown (formerly Pasta Brown, Covent Garden), Paesan embraces cucina povera, the tradition of using simple ingredients to prepare honest and flavoursome food. Dishes will include pappardelle with wild rabbit ragu and mussels impepata with rosemary crostini. The menu has been created by head chef Mattia Antonioni (previously at Polpo, The Ivy Club and Assaggi) and will be filled with hot and cold dishes channelling the cucina povera theme.

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All In London Review

Paesan’s ‘poor man’s kitchen’ is anything but

My Italian friend proclaims “there is nothing simple about Italian food!” when I tell her I’d eaten at Paesan the night before, Exmouth Market’s self-proclaimed new example of cucina povera (poor man’s kitchen). It’s the name Paesan (peasant) in particular that’s made her spit nettles. “You know there’s that type of English person who always considers Italian cuisine amazing for its ‘simplicity’ – no it’s not simple… it takes preparation, time and love – chips in a fryer is simple!” (I forget to mention triple cooked chips).

I would imagine preparing coppa di testa, a cured meat made from the head of the pig, takes a hell of a lot of preparation, time and love. You are after all going to have to shave it, then deal with its eyes, brain, teeth and all the rest, before cooking and seasoning.

Nonetheless, Paesan’s food is hearty and filling; fennel sausage (£9) has strong bursts of the aniseedy herb, served with lentils in a soffritto; Calabrian tripe and steak ragù (£8) is the perfect dish to come home to when it’s cold outside, with strips of beef and tripe mixed into a mildly spiced ragù and thin slices of just-melted pecorino cheese over the top. Crocchette schiacciatina (£4) are moreish little breaded fish cakes made with anchovy and parmesan, and the aforementioned coppa di testa (£4) is delicious and just melts in the mouth. But none of it says ‘poor’, even if pecorino is cheaper in Sardinia than it is in Blighty.

They also do pizza fritta here, the Neapolitan street food that should probably come with a health warning, in other words it’s perfect for the gourmet fast food trend. Taleggio and mushroom (£9), has fresh thyme and fragrant truffle sprinkled over the crunchy, deep fried base.

Downstairs there’s a bar serving vintage cocktails (naturally) and the restaurant is almost at full capacity. Perhaps it’s not simple or rustic for that matter, but Paesan will do very well indeed.

Reviewed by Leila
Published on Oct 9, 2013


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