Match of the week

Cicheti and an Aperol Spritz

Posted by Fiona Beckett (Google+) on June 6 2011 at 07:56

If anyone can make Aperol - the Venetian Campari drinkalike - fashionable it's Russell Norman of Polpo, Polpetto, Spuntino and now Da Polpo - four of the coolest (and smallest) restaurants in London. Admittedly bitters are not to everyone's taste - they are...well...bitter but I find Aperol fruitier and easier to drink than Campari. The traditional way to serve it as as an Aperol spritz topped up with Prosecco and a whoosh of soda water - the perfect way to recover when the Tube is at its hellish steamy worst.

No self-respecting barman in Venice would dream of serving you a drink without a plate of cicheti which frequently don't amount to much more than a few dog-eared sandwiches but the Polpo stable's are in different league.

We were in the restaurant for some meatball action but managed to down a couple of pizette including this zucchini chilli and mint one (right) with which our spritzes paired perfectly.

You can order a whole lot of other delicious things like grilled fennel and white anchovy, and potato and parmesan crochettas. (Mmmm. Potatoes and cheese. My favourite.) A great place to graze.

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