Via Emilia takes its name from the famous Roman Road that runs through Emilia Romagna – and only serves up food from the region.
It might sound limiting, but this is the area where homemade egg pasta was born, so there are plenty of classics gracing the menu.
First up at the Hoxton Square restaurant we tried the gnocco fritto (£2.70), which I was surprised to discover has nothing to do with gnocchi.
We ate the pillow shaped, hollow puffs of fried bread, with a crudo platter (£11), featuring prosciutto crudo from Parma, pancetta from Piacenza and salami from Felino – apparently the “best in Italy”.
Signature pasta dishes have been picked from every city connected by the road, cooked to so-called “grandmother’s recipes”.
We try the pork ravioli (£11) served a rich hen broth, and mushroom tagliatelli (£8).
Sparkling red Lambrusco is light and refreshing.
Tiramisu (£4) is the only dessert choice, but it’s tasty.
The restaurant is cosy and there’s not much space separating us from our neighbouring diners.
The menu is also quite sparse but prices are very reasonable for an authentic and top quality meal.
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