Piece by Kate Antoni, FG Central Correspondent
Design Bar
I was truly excited to be visiting VyTA – an Italian restaurant and cocktail bar, in the heart of Covent Garden. Where the staff and the concept are as passionate about life, love and food as I am (Maybe it’s our Italian blood?). Overlooking the square and styled so beautifully you could have mistakenly been in Milan; this is a total gem. I love Italy, although I’m never sure if I love it more than France, luckily the choice isn’t pressing, and I needn’t ever decide!
Gorgeous Terraces
On arrival I passed a full outdoor terrace, covered with umbrellas and heated with overhead lamps. filled with people enjoying hot chocolate and slices of cake. The gigantic mistletoe light display shone in the background and suddenly I was feeling a lot more festive. Covent Garden is truly magical during Christmas. Trees and lights dominate and classical music bellows from the inner sanctum.
I was happy and eager to try a cocktail or two. We entered the warmth and were shown upstairs to the lounge. This comprises of two outdoor terraces – that both allow smoking but not invasively so. We enjoyed an alfresco tipple but decided to eat dinner inside, as it was a little chilly. The indoor restaurant has stunning decor, think plush velvet chairs and oversized sofas with a burnt orange and teal colour scheme. Sleek designs and brass finishes. I was in awe of the attention to detail, right down to the Italian cutlery that adorned the table and the vast choices of classic cocktails with a Venetian twist.
Sublime Cocktails
We sat down and ordered cocktails – I opted for the VyTA spritz, a prosecco cocktail spiked with lemon and bitter verde. The latter being an herbal infusion from northern Italy with notes of mountain arnica, genepy, aniseed, eucalyptus and mint. I love bitters and have really enjoyed tasting new and interesting combinations. Man friend ordered the artichoke; a combination of dark rum, coffee liqueur, sweet vermouth and cynar. The final ingredient is an artichoke based bittersweet liquor, originating from Italy in 1952. Its name derives from “Cynar Scolymus” the botanical name for artichoke. Though the main markets are Brazil, Italy and Switzerland it’s exciting to see the use in London, unsurprising in a bar as effortlessly cool at VyTA.
Mouthwatering Cuisine
The restaurant sent over fresh focaccia alongside a young piquant olive oil. We were then delighted with treats from the “piazza experience” menu. We started with panzerotto – small deep-fried calzone, filled with fresh tomato, mozzarella and basil. Delectable and moreish – perfect with drinks and a fabulous idea for make at home holiday party treats. This was accompanied by the most stunning serving of burrata, homemade sourdough croutons and mixed datterino tomatoes. I can almost taste the black olives, capers and slivered red onions all over again. A truly mouthwatering combination.
The main saw us adorned with Risotto Ca’ Del Bosco with Seasonal Mixed Mushroom- this risotto packed a punch in all the right ways. Creamy and dense, yet light and fluffy. With the perfect seasoning and a toothsome bite. It’s a winner. The supremely thinly sliced veal atop with anchovy mustard and an herb crumb was as divine as it sounds – though, truth be told, we’d order an extra portion in future. It was the perfect amount of savoury food – left to my devices I’d have over ordered, because I am naturally hog like.
Divine Dessert
To finish our spectacular evening were two decadent (and I don’t use the term lightly!) desserts. The first, the Lussuria was nothing short of the world’s richest chocolate tart, hyperbole aside. Imagine a short crust pasty case filled with thick gianduja Chocolate, sweet raspberries and caramelised hazelnuts. We only needed a bite or two with espresso and were satiated (but finished it all so as not to be rude). Obviously, we also devoured off the second offering. A baked cheesecake torte served generously with sweetened pistachios and raspberry coulis. Man friend thoroughly enjoyed all courses and was excitedly planning our return. I had a few more (elegant) slurps of my cocktail and thanked the attentive staff for a wonderful experience. We them took a mini tour of the basement restaurant, the same decor but lower ceilings and higher temperatures make for a more intimate setting.
New Year’s Eve!
Man friend and I thought that this would be the perfect place to return with both sets of parents. Luckily for us, the venue is hosting a New Year’s Eve Tasting Menu, where you can enjoy five courses, a glass of bubbly on arrival followed by a live acoustic set and later a DJ and dancing for £110pp. I can’t think of anything I’d rather be doing!
VyTA – 21 The Market, Covent Garden London, WC2E 8RD
