You can't possibly have missed the shiny new Outernet space that opened at Tottenham Court Road at the end of last year. While we still haven't fogiven the Crossrail developers for tearing down The Astoria, you can't deny it's shining, shimmering, splendid facade has brought a little je ne sais quois to the area. Plus with the arrival of Here at Outernet as a new live music space, at least they're trying to help the city's swiftly depleting live music scene.
We digress, for the reason we're here this evening is to talk Cavo, the new Mediterranean inspired restaurant overlooking the street below. This place is capacious - the dining room is huge, airy, bathed in light during the day thanks to gargantuan windows and very much ticking that Med terrace box. We're looking forward to the weather being good enough to enjoy the rooftop terrace as well.
It's put together a vibrant menu rich in seafood and flavours that woudln't be amiss in an Ibizan beach bar, with a cocktail list to match; this is all da dining with a dose of sunshine, but with airly punchy prices it's not for every day. Head Chef Tomasz Baranski (formerly of Barrafina and Soho House) has created menus built upon three hero ingredients – expertly sourced olive oil, the gold-standard and incredibly versatile Amalfi lemons, and vibrant Vessuvio tomatoes – surely the holy trinity of Mediterranean cooking?
We popped down one Thursday to try it out for ourselves. Despite apprantely being booked for the Taste of Cavo Tasting `Menu - from £50 per person and showcasing the best of the menu - there wasn't any record of that on our booking so we went A La Carte, despite ordering everything that was on the Taste of Cavo menu anyway...
We started with half a dozen oysters with a trio of mignonette, burnt garlic and citronette - utterly delicious - before plumping for a selection of the sharing plates. Black truffle taglioni with 36-month aged Parmesan was suitably indulgent, crsip black cod from Athens was served with a sweet cherry tomato and Kalamata olive sauce, and a slow-roasted aubergine with feta mousse, harissa and pomegranate was tangy and delicious. From the grill, the Catalunya style octopus with parmentier and romesco sauce was unpleasantly tough and chewy, to the point of not being able to finish it - deeply disspointing for a £25 dish - but the poached lobster tail with butter, orange zest and tomato water was sweet, tender and very moreish. The Basque cheesecake was a big hit.
Despite boasting an impressive wine list, they were out of the first two we requested, including the house white; a rookie error I hope they've rectified. While the majority of the food was great, the portions are small considering the price point. The staff - while giving them the benefit of the doubt for a new opening - seemed a tad chaotic at times, unsure of things and mixing up requests; at that price point the service should be top notch, so here's hoping it's polished up in the few weeks since we visited.
This is undoubtedly a cool space with a great menu. Despite a few hiccups we look forward to a return to see what the summer holds - it's about time this area had something of this ilk, so let's hope it lives up to expectations.
