It’s post-work, pre-dinner drinking, but far more grown up than a happy hour. The aperitivo is an alcoholic drink consumed before dinner, but it's not just a way for entrepreneurial bar owners to increase their profits, as there is a science to it aswell. The beverage is meant to stimulate the appetite in preparation for dinner, which is why aperitivi tend to be savoury, strong drinks like martinis and negronis, made with vermouth, gin, Aperol and Campari - in France pastis is commonly served, while in Greece it’s ouzo. Light bites are typically offered too, and can be as basic as a bowl of marinated olives to small plates of beef tartare and ricotta fritters; salty, tangy and lemony flavours prevail.
Aperitivi became vogueish in London last autumn, but now that the evenings are lighter there’s much more of an excuse to stretch the night out for as long as possible. Here is our pick of aperitivi in the capital.
For making a meal of it
Chic brasserie Apero in the basement of South Kensington’s Ampersand Hotel is open all day, but it’s mainly talked about because of its aperitivo hour-inspired menu. Tuck into sharing plates of grilled watermelon, duck and basil, and Crotin de Chavignol goat’s cheese with saffron honey. Washed these down with Sainte Victoire, a cocktail named after a Provençal mountain that’s made with prosecco, cognac, apricot brandy, white grapes and rosemary.
Theo Randall at the Intercontinental has classics like the Negroni sbagliato which uses prosecco instead of gin, and a modern version of a martini with limoncello, gin, basil and lemon.
Polpo’s very own Campari bar serves Aperol spritzes (Aperol, soda water and prosecco) and an Old Fashioned that substitutes whisky with gin and Campari. Thanks to this Soho restaurant cichetti - Venetian bite-sized tapas - is a buzzword. There are pizzette, meatballs and Sardinian flatbread too.
For the fashionable
Frank’s Café and Campari Bar re-opens on June 30th in its usual location at the top of a Peckham car park. This trendy pop-up specialises in Campari of course, but the cocktail list also features whisky sours and Black Russians, while snacks include corn on the cob, mackerel, and smoked aubergine with crème fraiche.
For a bargain
By day Il Tempo is a café, but in the evenings it morphs into a wine bar offering complimentary cured meats, cheeses and salads to go with their Italian wines and Aperol spritzes.
Battersea’s restaurant and karaoke bar Bunga Bunga is cheekily named after Silvio Berlusconi’s infamous sex parties, although the term is thought to date back to the early 20th century. Every Tuesday between 7 and 9pm there’s a buffet priced at just £7, offering pizza, bruschetta and charcuterie to soak up Americanos and Negronis. However there is a permanent Aperitivo Bites menu available throughout the week too, with polenta chips and fried whitebait among others things.
All in London’s Extra Dry Martini
Few cocktails are argued over as much as the gin martini, with purists maintaining there should be little more than a drop of vermouth in the glass, while others shudder at the thought of what is essentially a glass of neat gin. Here is our recipe for the mightiest aperitivo of them all.
Ingredients
2 ½ shots of dry gin, such as Tanqueray 10
1 shot of dry vermouth, such as Noilly Prat
Two Gordal olives (or the plumpest green olives you can find)
Method
Chill martini glass in the fridge for at least half an hour before serving.
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice cubes. Pour in the gin and shake briefly.
Pour vermouth into the glass, swish around a little before pouring out.
Strain the gin into the glass. Garnish with two Gordal olives on a cocktail stick.
(Image: Apero)