It being a Thursday (5AS) carbo loading was the order of the day. I met up with the eldest before his evening shift in the much walked past but never been in Ciao Bella. even at half two in the afternoon it was pleasantly busy and we got a table with a view of the room for hi m and a wall of Barolo giving me the wink over his shoulder.

But I resisted. Beppe Signori-like I stuck to one glass of red for the whole meal. Service is provided by a well-drilled squad and the offer is regular neighbourhood Italian fare with a few specials on top. Up front I had one of the specials – asparagus wrapped in parma ham. Utterly delicious. For main penne all’arrabiata was exactly what I wanted. Plenty of quality pasta in a tasty sauce. We rounded off with a quality espresso.

It’s a cliché but CB really is the epitome of the trad trattoria in central London, a breed that is not disappearing as much as you might think. But being in Bloomsbury it was about 20 quid more that it might have been, say, on Green Lanes. Even so, I didn’t begrudge it the extra; Lamb’s Conduit Street can be maddening in its Monocality but CB is keeping it real. Even if the customers aren’t.

8/10

To see where else I’ve been click on the google map below.

https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/embed?mid=18qCyiPZih_gzhGG8mwfacnNRWD3b0bo&ehbc=2E312F

Food London bloomsbury Food Italian London restaurants