Weekly Review: The Dover

I put claims of "New York Italian" to a head-to-head test.

The Dover describes itself as a “New York Italian Bar & Restaurant.”

As an American, this means something very specific to me. It’s visions of veal parmesan heaped with zesty tomato sauce and oozing with cheese. There’s a side of pasta — spaghetti with marina sauce, sweet from tinned Italian tomatoes. This follows a starter of Italian antipasto — meats, olives, cheeses, roasted peppers, and a few other goodies, all doused with spicy olive oil and sharp vinegar. As a kid, I was allowed a Sprite or a Ginger Ale with these meals. As an adult, I gravitate to a rich Tuscan red.

Veal parmesan at Fresco by Scotto in midtown Manhattan. Photo from the restaurant via their website.

Atmosphere is important as well. Wait staff should be Italian, hyper professional, but friendly. It should feel hospitable. New York Italian should never require tweezers.

All that said, I’m not from New York, and I’ve never lived there. Sure, I’ve visited a lot over the years. But I wondered if my childhood experience in Richmond, Virginia was a diluted, provincial take on the New York original.

So, I decided to take a field trip to New York to explore the issue further. (Well, not really. I had to be there for work.) My friends Adam and Leah kindly agreed to take me to their favourite New York Italian Bar & Restaurant.

Fresco by Scotto is a midtown institution. When I arrived, Adam was propping up the bar, sipping his first martini. I asked for a Brunello or Chianti Classico Riserva — it was going to be Sangiovese or bust. The bar was buzzing. Friends were chatting. Cocktails were flowing. A deal was being worked out at the table by the window. The couple down the bar was warming up for their second date. There was a Sex in the City style gaggle of four gossiping next to us.

In due course, we drifted through to our table.

A beef carpaccio starter was outstanding. A beef short rib was even better. Wonderfully tender, slow-cooked to perfect, served with a rich sauce. It was a dish any kitchen could be proud of. We drank a fairly outrageous Sangiovese-dominant super-Tuscan from Isole e Olena. Service was friendly, professional. And the place felt keenly of Manhattan.

With that as the measuring stick, let’s consider the Dover.

On entry, you find a long, cozy bar with rich, well-oiled wood panelling. Ask for a table in the bar, and you’ll discover a fantastic cocktail list, a good blend of classics and innovations. There’s a pleasant by-the-glass list of mostly Italian wines and varietals. A wine for every mood.

Our waiter was Sicilian and eager to please. On this visit, we stuck to the bar, and ate all manner of inspired bar snacks. The lobster roll was decadent, but delicious. More lobster than filling. A good size for picking up and eating. Quickly. It didn’t last long.

Lobster Roll in the bar at The Dover.

A bar portion of penne arrabbiata delivered the requisite spicy kick. The pasta was perfectly cooked. Garlic was carefully shaved into the sauce. The guys doing time in Goodfellas would have been happy with the outcome.

The highlight was zucchini and sweet potato fritti. There was a great blend of sweet and sharp, and they went well with the lobster roll.

On another visit, a friend and I made it past the long bar and into the dining room to enjoy a fantastic lunch. It’s place to see and be seen — a haunt that Mayfair’s finest can really enjoy while guys like me do our best to look presentable.

Caprese Salad, simple and delicious.

The food was more than presentable. A simple caprese salad — mozzarella and tomato with some basil, topped with oil and vinegar — gave me visions of the Tuscan coast. A signature dish — spaghetti with meatballs — lived up to its billing. Rich, red sauce was a highlight. A “chocolate and hazelnut praline on the plate” made for a decadent finish, befitting the Big Apple.

We were incredibly well looked after. Professional and friendly. Italian all the way. Fantastic.

Bottom line: The Dover is an outstanding venue for professional lunch, drinks, or dinner. I would definitely host clients or colleagues in the bar. Drinks with optional delicious snacks is always a great way to set-up an evening. Lunch in the dining room was similarly appealing, and you could certainly be in and out in 90 minutes if you needed to get back afterwards.

So The Dover is now in my rota, and in the Guide, and when I’m looking for a little New York, I’ll head straight to Mayfair.

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Quick hit: A wonderful New York experience, in the heart of Mayfair.

Details: Booking Essential. Mayfair. ££££.
Restaurant website. More on Instagram.
Find it on Google Maps. 33 Dover St, W1S 4NF.

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Thanks for reading this week’s review. What’s your favourite New York Italian spot, in London, New York or elsewhere? I’d love to hear it in the comments. And please do subscribe if you haven’t already.