Canto Corvino — Restaurant in London

So - had it not been for the £19.50 for a glass of run of the mill Italian wine shocker on the bill (admittedly it was a 250ml glass, but come on CANTO!) and the decidedly unexciting service, I would probably have given Canto a 4 star rating. The Good: They know how to make cocktails, and they know how to cook pasta. I also love the interior decoration, ambience and set up as it has a real Italian Canto feel, albeit on a large scale. They get lighting right too. I enjoyed my lobster pasta (Taste was great BUT see The Bad below) The Bad: I know Canto is not a cheap eatery, BUT, please make your prices reflect the quality and quantity a little more.... Buffalo Mozzarella at £11.50 for a starter portion could be upgraded to a small Burrata... at almost £30 pounds for the main course lobster pasta dish, there should be a LOT more lobster in there (how about let's call it half a lobster guys) instead of a few pieces that probably add up to a quarter lobster that has been on a diet...)... but the pompom has to be the £19.50 glass of wine that my friend ordered from the waitress to go with his pasta dish. He did not ask for a particular wine, just one she would recommend... she never mentioned the price tag and when I queried the bill she simply shrugged and said "yes, that is the correct price"... I don't doubt it is the correct price, but what we drank was not a Barolo, nor a rare vintage. It was a simple glass of nice Italian wine, and we are not at a Michelin Restaurant here... review...

Had a fantastic evening with work colleagues in this bustling, lovely restaurant.

I was early and my colleagues were late, so I was by myself at a table for 9. The staff were so polite, friendly and professional.

When the team arrived we ordered some snacks to share, the padron peppers, rosemary focaccia, olives, antipasti selection, and artichoke hearts. Meats were tasty, the olives well chosen and succulent, artichokes had the perfect crunch to the bite, the peppers firm and full of favour, the bread melt in the mouth.

I had the tiger prawn & cuttlefish tagliolini for my main. The prawns were fresh and the cuttlefish cooked to perfection, it was so tasty.

The mousse and pannacotta did the rounds for dessert, as high standard as the mains.

Unfortunately I can't recall the red wine we had otherwise I would recommend it, but the Sommelier that served us knows their wine. Ask and thou shalt receive good wine :-)

I also want to highlight the staff. We had a tall girl with long dark hair and glasses serving our table. While everybody we dealt with was excellent, we saw her more than the others.

We had some banter when I was promising that I had friends who were on the way, she apparently a lot of "stand-ups" occur there.

She also gave some grappa taster small samples to one of the group who had never had one before, above and beyond the call of duty.

Great food, great atmosphere and great service....

The food is over-priced for what you get, particularly if you order the carbonara. It's not bad by any means, but felt rather 'meh' for the nearly £20 price tag. This may come down to personal preference: I prefer an egg rich sauce on my carbonara and intense flavour from the guanciale or pancetta; this was light on the pork and, instead of having egg in the sauce, came with a poached egg on top. What this creates is a mouth feel that leans more towards slimy than silky, the richness of the egg yolk not having an opportunity to meld with the other ingredients, causing the dish to feel disjointed. Having married into an Italian household that has strong-held beliefs regarding the preparation, taste, texture, and balance of dishes, I can say this wouldn't fly with them. Nonetheless, Canto Corvino boasts an impressive wine list with intimate interiors and is well-located for those looking for an apertif or dinner in The City. Further, the staff was friendly and accommodating and the facilities were clean. If you are looking for authentic Italian in the area, there are better options out there. I feel Canto Corvino is ideal as a wine or cocktail hour spot to catch great drinks and light bites, but feel their mains left much...