The Italian Greyhound

On a gloomy winter evening, the bright lights exploding from The Italian Greyhound really do feel like something from a Christmas movie. We’re attracted like moths to flame, and inside the story is similarly jovial - the dining room is alive with glasses clinking, excited chatter and staff cheerfully ferrying plates of pasta and steaming pizzas around the room. First impressions mean a lot, and The Italian Greyhound certainly has that aspect nailed.

The space is lovely and bright in the daytime too thanks to towering sash windows, painted in a fetching forest green. Bold wall prints give the room some cheerful, Italian riviera flavour, contrasting against beige limewash and plush honey-coloured leather banquettes. There’s plenty of room to move around amidst chunky, Scandi-oak tables and chairs, and a busy bar towards the back of the room provides a spot to perch for a cocktail, like the excellent Greyhound Paloma, a simple but effective mix of Patron Silver tequila, pink grapefruit soda and lime).

Rather than overwhelming you with choice, the menu offers compact, curated sections for antipasti, pizza, pasta dishes, mains and desserts. Dishes are nicely balanced between absolute classic flavours (crab spaghetti with chilli and garlic) and some more innovative ideas, like a king prawn pizza with spring onion and capers. Pumpkin and gorgonzola arancini carried just the right amount of blue cheese funk, and just as we’d finished dusting breadcrumbs off our fingers, a sizable ‘nduja and taleggio pizza arrived, crispy from a blast in the roaring hot pizza oven. The Italian Greyhound is at its best when delivering big, bold flavours, whether it’s the aforementioned pizza or a hulking great chicken Milanese that barely fits on the plate.

A fettuccine dish of porcini and girolle with Parmesan and confit egg yolk promised much, and whilst the flavours were good, it could have benefitted from a couple of minutes fewer in the pan. Small details like this would take The Italian Greyhound from good to great, but there’s no doubting the restaurant’s final piece de resistance - a magnificent tiramisu, with coffee mellowed by a gentle hit of pistachio cream. Classic flavours with thoughtful twists - that’s where The Italian Greyhound excels.

The Bernardi brothers, Marcello and Gabriel, are well versed in creating popular hospitality spaces which work thanks to their Italian charm and knack for straddling the sweet spot between familiar crowd-pleasing classics and contemporary techniques.

Now the pair have directed their attention to The Italian Greyhound, where the eponymous Bernardi’s once stood. This is an evolution of the brothers’ growth on the culinary scene in London. Working with business party Barry Hirst and head chef Yohei Furuhashi they have come up with a new and improved version of their dining destination.

This smart, friendly spot provides all-day dining in several guises. Both lunch and dinner offerings are on the table for guests to enjoy, while for those who fancy something lighter there are small plates and snacks, ideal for enjoying on the wraparound terrace or at the bar.

Chef Yohei Furuhashi’s creations have a strong produce-focus, for Italian dishes made with the-best-of-British ingredients. Furuhashi – whose experience spans time at River Cafe as well as Petersham Nurseries – has come up with a whole host of crowd pleasers to keep everyone happy. Pizza and pasta are firmly still in place, but sit alongside more usual treats. Transport yourself to sunnier shores by way of Sicilian chickpea fritters with sage or plump for the familiarity of a plate of handmade pasta, perhaps tossed through with a slow-cooked pork ragu.

The drinks list has been carefully curated to keep things short and sharp. Here you’ll find both Italian and British beers, ales and ciders as well as a hand-picked selection of European wines and a mix of cocktails which are perfect for aperitivi.

The restauranteur siblings have not only had a hand in the food and drink but have also closely worked on the interiors too. Expect a relaxed but refined space which puts an emphasis on natural materials to create a chic and contemporary place to relax in.