Guide Review: Cafe Murano
Ideal for group dining with big Italian flavours and great wines.
Quick hit: Consistent, clever go-to Italian with a regularly evolving menu.
Details: Booking advised. St. James, Covent Garden, Bermondsey. £££.
Restaurant website. More on Instagram.
Find it on Google Maps.
About a year ago, I partnered with a couple of industry friends to try to convene a group of like-minded practitioners from top consultancies.
Together, we enticed a group of about 16, and we gathered for dinner at the Cafe Murano in Covent Garden. Their pastificio — which means pasta factory — is a fantastic deli and bar space on the ground floor, and it’s available for group lunches and dinners. Even better, group meals can be family style with an array of fantastic dishes served over several courses.
At the end of the first gathering, I asked the group whether they would like to get together again for another dinner in the future. They unanimously said, “yes.”
Then I asked whether they would like to return to Cafe Murano or try something different. Much to my surprise, they all wanted to return.
But in my experience, Cafe Murano has that effect.
The food is great. Chef Angela Hartnett understands Italian cuisine as well as anyone who isn’t Italian. She knows the regional nuances and the obscure ingredients that turn good into great. Her flagship restaurant, Murano, has a Michelin star.
Cafe Murano is designed to be more accessible. But the food is still clever, and the menu changes with the seasons. The wine list is equally thoughtful. And there are dishes for every occasion.
Quick, light, healthy lunch? No problem. Share a cicchetti and order something like the roasted delica squash with toasted pumpkin seeds and treviso cheese.
Pleasant Thursday night out? Share some antipasti and pasta.
Big night out? Consider secondi. The lamb is excellent. The ox tail is great. Add a bottle of something Tuscan. Outstanding.
For a group dinner, the private dining team are excellent. They make the process easy. Book the space. Choose dishes for each course. They’ll factor in dietary requirements and add others if necessary. Then choose the wine. Then show up and enjoy yourself.
Our most recent dinner was last week at the St. James location. In a private room at the back, we rolled through the evening, enjoying every bite. Service was friendly and conscientious, drawing my attention at one point to a dietary issue which I had overlooked, then solving it.
When I first assembled the Guide, Cafe Murano was one of the first places I added. And it remains a go-to selection for my professional lunches. I really can’t recommend it more strongly.
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