This restaurant is aptly named "good memories," which is exactly what diners have been taking away from Buon Ricordo since it opened its Paddington doors in 1987. Today, waiters in trim white jackets fuss over patrons who sample the glory of classical Italian hospitality. The cuisine is traditional, with authentic Italian flavours and techniques on display. The wine list is Italian-based to round off your European dining experience.
From the outside Buon Ricordo looks like most of Paddington; neat, charming and elegant. But as soon as you step over the threshold you are transported into an Italian house. Brick floors, traditional wooden chairs, white-set tables, a fireplace, the familiar manner of the staff and the scents coming from the kitchen tell you so. This is part of the beauty of this celebrated restaurant – it delivers on the promise of inspired, heart-on-the-sleeve cuisine with none of the bravado that might be expected from a restaurant of its calibre (and with two chefs' hats for three years running we can agree it has plenty of calibre).
Upstairs is a dining area that has a slightly more formal bent. This is partially because it is where the restaurant's impressive wine cellar is housed – a tempting companion to a night spent feasting on Italian dishes – and partially because it serves as a part-time gallery. Over its 23-year history Buon Ricardo has amassed lots of art (including a painting by the late Fred Cress) which hangs – and stands – proudly around the area. No matter how wonderful, however, the art is likely to lose the fight for your attention when the fare comes from chef Armando Percuoco's kitchen. On a menu that is sensitive to seasons and produce, you'll find northern Italian inspired "primi" like fettuccine al tartufovo ( fettuccine with cream and parmesan, topped with a fried truffle egg and tossed at the table) and "secondi" like the ever-popular T-bone (Italian style, of course) and braciolette Reginaldo (a dish of crumbed veal rolled with spinach, nutmeg and parmesan that was named after a customer).
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