Curzon gets things rolling

The stated aim of the owner of the newly opened CURZON RESTAURANT AND BAR is to create the most authentic Italian restaurant in London. My reaction to its launch last week was whether it would be good for a meal before or after seeing a movie at the eponymous cinema next door.

At first glance, it looked promising. A restructuring of the premises once occupied by Les Saveurs - where, for a while, the divine Joel Antunes cooked - has installed a glazed frontage where none previously existed, giving a light-filled space for the ground-floor bar, with its bare wooden tables for casual eating.

The serious restaurant is in the basement. Last week, only the ground-floor section was open but the full menu was offered. The chef is Beny Valini, who started cooking in his family's restaurant in Pisa and has come to London via New York. From the snacking point of view as well as three-course eventing, prices are alarming.

Starters kick off with piatto di verdure Pinzimonio at £10, translated as crudete of fresh seasonal vegetables. Maybe Pinzimonio is a brand of Italian fridge. The array of clumsily cut carrots, celery and yellow pepper looked like something you might rustle up out of the salad drawer at the end of the week.

It was shameful at any price and not redeemed by the oilbaseddips served alongside. Another first course of crab meat "on a bed of cucumber with a cherry tomato balsamic marinade" introduced the first appearance of what must have been a glut of cherry tomatoes in the kitchen.

The crab lay on halved tomatoes rather like a hospital patient on an airbed. Hundreds more cherry tomatoes seem to have invaded home-made, fresh spaghetti - I thought spaghetti tended to be manufactured - with a cherry tomato sauce which was nicely prepared, as well it might be at £10.50.

Main courses are better value. Veal escalopes sautéed in Vin Santo with mixed wild mushrooms at £13.25 tasted good and was generous with the mushrooms. A char-grilled chicken paillard at £12, described as coming with "wild baby salad" - an image to conjure with - had more flavour beaten into it than you might imagine possible. Side orders such as spinach or sautéed potatoes add another £3.50 each.

A Carpaccio of pineapple with sliced exotic fruit was a fine dessert but, again, pricy at £9.50. Maybe before or after seeing Etre et Avoir (not to be missed), Goodbye Lenin! or Respiro currently showing next door, the best-value choice would be braised veal shank on saffron risotto at £12.50.

I shall go back to try the restaurant proper as I sense there is more to be got out of Beny Valini than we managed.

Curzon
37a Curzon Street, W1J 7TX