Cenetta Barba

Bucatini with confit ayu and mushrooms, followed by roast Ezo venison with blueberry sauce: one diner’s dinner at Cenetta Barba featured dishes built around memorable ingredient pairings. They described the bucatini as pleasantly firm, with tender ayu and mushrooms coming together on the plate, and a hint of bitterness from the fish’s liver. The venison, they said, was moist and tender, its savoury flavour deepening with each bite, while the sweet blueberry sauce made a good match. It is a pleasing choice of contrasting main dishes, from seafood pasta to meat.

Other pasta and rice dishes on the menu include homemade pappardelle with a ragù of coarsely ground beef and risotto with oysters and saffron. Another diner ordered beef pappardelle and beef cheek braised in red wine, noting the pasta’s freshness and the cheek meat’s melt-in-the-mouth texture. Choose a rich ragù with pasta or make the red-wine braise the centrepiece: both suit an appetite for a substantial meal.

One diner began with an antipasti platter for 2, which, they said, brought together items such as ham and marinated vegetables. Sharing a platter before moving on to individual pasta and main-course choices makes an easy way to start. Olives marinated with anchovies are another small plate to enjoy with a drink. Diners have also paired their food with Moretti and rosé wine.

Some diners have finished with tiramisu and coffee, making it easy to build a meal from antipasti through to dessert. A visitor noted that the restaurant has limited tables, and reservations are recommended for both lunch and dinner.