A Reservoir Gem of a Restaurant

I hadn’t much reason to visit Reservoir before, but as it turned out, La Pinta was on both Y and I’s list as a place to try - so, why not, when she kindly offered to drive?

Initially dissuaded by their no-bookings-for-groups-less-than-five policy (it was a Friday night, after all, and the older I get the less time I have for waiting*), we braved it anyway.

The timing gods were smiling down on us: no sooner than we’d ordered a standing-room-only drink, we were ushered over to take two of the three just-vacated seats at the bar.  Said drink of mine - a bitter lemon non-alcoholic number - was wondrous, though the wine list did make me think I should come back with M**.

Y, if you remember from Ish’s write-up, was getting married. Well, technically, she was married now, having done the legal signing of papers in an intimate ceremony just the other weekend… with a big bash (the ‘real’ one) following in Greece.

Wedding planning being what it is, we hadn’t properly caught up in a while*** so this was a treat before I headed off on my travels (Greece, of course, but via a slow stop in both Sri Lanka and London).

La Pinta is a low-lit, buzzy venue that actually wouldn’t feel out of place closer to the city.  The menu is written on chalkboards (I’m told it changes frequently, with a focus on locality and seasonality both), and the central bar and open kitchen makes for a relaxed experience.  Y and I, as is our norm, wanted to try everything

We did tone it down (look at us! Growing ever more sensible with age!) and ended up sharing only two mains and most of the small plates.

SPLIT PEA DIP w PICKLES, SEEDS: It was the pickles that got me interested, but the whole dish itself was a lovely alternative to the usual hummus…

BREAD Well of course, to eat up that dip.  It was good to have for the other starters as well.

SMOKED GIRELLO w HORSERADISH I’m not usually a fan of white-hot, but this horseradish was fresh, and a wonderful complement to the beef.

GRILLED LEEK w WHEY Charred with a lovely unami from the whey.  In hindsight, too similar to the cabbage, which was better.

BEETROOT, CREME FRAICHE & GREEN SAUCE I always get beetroot, because I despise cooking with it at home.  This was wonderful - the usual red with the golden variety.  The sauces cut through the intense earthiness of the vegetables.

MARINATED OCTOPUS w FENUGREEK I’m usually such a fan of octopus, and while there was nothing wrong with this… it didn’t blow my socks off either.  Akin to the bottled versions you can find in a good deli. Also, more a starter than a main.

CABBAGE, BUCKWHEAT & CHEESE ROLL Y’s favourite.  If I hadn’t been too full by the time it came out, it might have been my favourite too.

ARTICHOKE SPOIA LORDA w HAZELNUT Yum! We were rather full when this one came out, but that didn’t stop us from devouring it. The pasta pieces were teensy, and the hazelnuts added both flavour and a satisfying texture. Would recommend it!

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_{* yes, both literally and metaphorically - kudos to you who understood!}

_{** Both the wine list, and the 3D printing store practically next door.  It’s his most recent obsession.}

_{*** wedding planning, I suspect, is time consuming - more so, perhaps, when it is taking place in another country}

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