London has an abundance of
Italian restaurants to choose from. This is the cuisine I find myself craving
the most, but I was yet to find an authentic taste of Italy in the West End.
My Mum and I were looking forward
to our evening outing, and after a full day of walking through the Capital and
shopping, we were looking for a quick bite to eat, leaving us time to hop in a
black cab to Theatre Land!
The
restaurant which has been open for over 25 years had a welcoming atmosphere. James
Street- conveniently placed a stone’s throw away from Selfridges, has a number
of Italian restaurants to choose from. I
was sold on trying out Sirena once I saw green, white and red colours of the
Italian flag on the shop front blind. The small tables with white tablecloths,
candles and Italian music playing softly in the background all add to the
ambiance. There are additional tables set in the lower ground floor, which
would be perfect for larger parties.
After indulging on the beautiful bread
selection dipped into olive oil and balsamic vinegar, our two main courses of
course for the evening were a classic beef lasagna, and Penne Arrabiata.
I am so often disappointed by a watery
béchamel sauce and overcooked lasagna sheets. This was by far the lightest
lasagne I had ever eaten, the waitress told me the secret was that the béchamel
sauce is mixed together with the meat sauce. The Pasta Arrabiata, perfectly
cooked aldente pasta was fragrantly hit with garlic, and a fiery chili tomato
based sauce. Both dishes at our request were seasoned with a generous helping
of fresh Parmesan and black pepper. A no
frills side salad to share was the perfect accompaniment to the pasta dishes.
Simply belissimo.
Italian cooking has an emphasis
on using simplistic flavours, in order to create spectacular dishes you will
want to order again and again. A quick coffee for dessert, and we were ready to
jump in a black cab to finish our evening out at the theatre.
44 James St London, Greater London W1U 1EY
020 7486 5620
www.sirena-restaurant.co.uk/
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