Occasionally a restaurant pops up that you really don’t want to share with anybody else. Frizzante is that restaurant.
Located in the tranquil courtyard of Hackney City Farm, it’s an automatic thumbs up for atmosphere and wow factor. As venues go, this is special; quaint farm life meets urban city chic in the form of what is essentially an attractively rustic outhouse.
Frizzante serves an Italian inspired menu that relies on seasonal produce to inspire its offerings. One month it could be the delicious duck ragu (as on this occasion), a rich, orange infused – hold those thoughts of 80s duck a l’orange – sauce accompanied by homemade penne pasta; and the next it could be something altogether different.
At time of writing we are in the heart of winter so the venison stew with smashed rosemary potatoes is a winner. Vegetarians will be pleased to know that they aren’t an afterthought; the mushroom gratin is a creamy concoction that oozes texture thanks to the mixed fungi in the dish.
Prices are reasonable, for two people you can expect to pay under £70.00 with wine. The trick with visiting Frizzante is to time your visit for one of the agriturismo nights on Thursdays. The loose translation of agriturismo (at Frizzante at least) is an evening of sharing from communal dishes – a rustic farmhouse feast if you like. But the real star on these evenings is the live jazz. Guitar and double bass combine to ramp up the atmosphere, Tuscan style. A trip to the farm was never so refined.
