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A bit of a find

Yesterday I teamed up with a brother for a military-style mission to take our 91 year old father to a Harley Street consultation in central London. My brother did the ‘pick up’ by travelling to the coast and driving said parent to my place in south London, after which my contribution would be to organise a car to take us – in some comfort, without the need to pay any Congestion Charge and/or have to find somewhere to park and then pay for it – into central London … and then afterwards drive my father back down to the coast.

The entire expedition – including the consultation – went smoothly and/or as anticipated. Our father will be returning to London next week to undergo a procedure and so we’ll be setting up another military operation to take care of that.

Yesterday’s consultation over – by then just after 1.00pm – we took advice from ‘Reception’ at the Harley Street address we’d attended and, walking around the corner into Wigmore Street, popped into an Italian restaurant called 2 Veneti that none of us had either heard of or visited previously.

veneti2It was immediately and effortlessly impressive. By no stretch of the imagination would I qualify as a gastronome but – in line with the old adage that it’s generally a good sign if the natives are gracing a hostelry with their presence – this was a top notch Italian establishment with Venetian origins. It had an instant expensive, classy, feel. Even as we arrived most of the tables were already occupied or boasting ‘reserved’ signs.

Not long after we had been accepted for a three-person lunch and taken our seats, a classic Italian family of seven or eight arrived across the room – grandad, son, matriarch and various family members of both genders right down to (I would guess) a girl of no more than four years of age. Not a scene one would often see played out by their British equivalents. We admired and remarked upon it. It felt as if we had been transported to … well, Venice (obviously), or perhaps some other typical Italian city.

All round us were well-to-do businessmen of substance, ‘ladies wot lunch’ and often successive generations enjoying each other’s company, the few unoccupied tables as we came in soon filling up. The waiting staff were immaculately presented, attentive and helpful without ever being obtrusive or obsequious.

The truth is – probably against type for their traditional clientele – we were just there for a main course, a drink and a coffee. One could sense that they were more geared up for people who were going to be making a real meal of it – viz. starters, a pasta course and a main course, probably before a break to relax, and then a dessert and/or ‘afters’. With a bottle or two of wine to accompany things, naturally. And much conversation.

In a good way, therefore we were probably ‘letting the side down’ somewhat. My father had a gin & tonic, my brother and I had beers – plus sparkling water – and then we were into our mains – father a seafood platter (which he barely touched), my brother the hake (‘fish of the day’), which he described as perfect, whilst your author opted for homemade lamb and rosemary ravioli. As I’d be driving later, one beer was the sum of my alcohol intake but my companions also had large glasses of house red. The total bill came to £129 including service.

In summary, we had (as we might have described it) ‘just what the doctor ordered’: a simple and well-cooked meal served without fuss in what to me was an excellent venue dripping with the ‘feel’ of its place of origin and a genuine sense of style. I could give no greater recommendation than to state that I’ll definitely be returning one day and indeed will be spending my idle hours dreaming up excuses so to do.

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About J S Bird

A retired academic, Jeremy will contribute article on subjects that attract his interest. More Posts