What can you tell us about Tinello?
Established in 2010, Tinello is a family-run Italian restaurant owned by brothers Max and Federico Sali, a duo which have worked their way around the London dining scene since 1999. Tinello, which roughly translates as 'dining room' has quietly established itself as an affordable dining option in an area known for astronomical house prices and well-heeled residents.
Why are you visiting now?
Whilst there is certainly no shortage of new restaurants opening in London at the moment (we counted 15 already this month), there are still many places worth revisiting. Here at Hot Dinners, we believe that establishments which are known for consistently providing guests with an excellent dining experience at a good price should be recognised and promoted as much as the new. Tinello will turn three years old in August, and with this in mind, we decided to pay them a visit and see how they were faring.
Where is it?
Tinello is located at 87 Pimlico Road, midway between Sloane Square and Chelsea Embankment. It's a short walk from Sloane Square tube station, although it seemed that most guests here prefer Black Cabs and private cars as their choice of transportation.
Where can I go for drinks before?
'Walking distance' isn't a commonly used measure of distance in this part of town, so we were pleased to note that there was at least one decent nearby option for pre-dinner drinks. Number 11 Pimlico Road, a bar and restaurant which reopened in March of this year is just a five minute amble away. Here we slipped into the bar and ordered a round of No.11 Martinis - A Gin Martini, true to its name, made with 11 ingredients and served with a lemon twist and a side of olives. With an extensive and creative cocktail menu which features a different drink every hour, we were tempted to stay for another, alas an evening of wine pairing meant we'd have to leave this for another time.
Where should I sit?
Staying true to its name, Tinello is essentially a 78-seat dining room. Its exposed brick walls, wooden floors and hanging table lamps suggest a casual atmosphere, whilst the white table cloths and carefully arranged glassware definitely remind you of which part of town you're in. If dining as a couple or in a small group, the best spots are in one of the booths or one of the tables along the wall. If you're arriving later on, the best spot might be on one of the few tables outside lest you end up getting trapped in the middle of the room when it gets busy.
What's on the menu?
For a restaurant situated in one of the more well-heeled neighbourhoods in this part of London, Tinello maintains a somewhat reasonable price point for both its food and wine. Antipasti start at £8, mains are around £20 whilst a glass of wine can be snagged for less than £5.
Following a traditional Italian restaurant format, the menu is divided up under the headings Antipasti, Secondi, Pasta and Dolci but also contains Contorni (vegetables and salads) and a Daily Special. This is quite a lot to take in, and unless you've got a gargantuan appetite, it might be advisable to follow the recommendations of the waiting staff, whom we found to be of great assistance in this regard.
In an attempt to pace ourselves, we started with Razor clams (£6.50), Zucchine fritte (£2.95), and Soppressata with rocket (£4.95). Their version of 'small plates', the Zucchine a tangle of crisp fried strands - would certainly be on par if not better than the same dish from the Salusbury or Coppa. The Razor clams were served cleaned and chopped and in the shell, these were given their Italian bend with the addition of broadbean, pepper and spinach. The kitchen also sent out a portion of Prosciutto e melone (£9.50), a classic meat / fruit combination executed well.
According to Federico, the pasta is made every day on-site. These menu items are some of the best value and shouldn't be missed. We managed to squeeze in a small portion of Tortelli, two small parcels of pasta filled with smoked mozzarella in a walnut sauce (£11). Each of these dishes can be upsized to a main for an additional £3.
Moving on to 'Secondi', the mains are a step up in price, we noticed no vegetarian options here with a majority of the dishes involving seasonal fish. The Swordfish with avocado (£21.00) is a generous serving, and would be even more enjoyable out on the terrace with a glass of Soave - although in this case, we have to admit that the fish was a little overdone. The other main we chose was Pollock, a sustainable alternative to cod. This was served with a butter sauce on a bed of finely shaven asparagus - well cooked, but a little heavy handed on the seasoning.
With just enough room for dessert, the Chocolate Tart with Pistachio gelato (£6.50) was probably not the best choice given the weather. Nevertheless, the pastry was soft and collapsed under pressure of the spoon whilst the gelato could easily have been from Gelupo. A delicious combination whatever the weather.
How about the drinks?
Wine is Max's forte and indeed the menu here should be praised for its combination of excellent value wines and great range available by the glass. We started with a glass of Franciacorta (£9), the only sparkling wine worth drinking if you ask the Milanese. A deadringer for Champagne, this finely textured wine was a perfect foil for the strings of Zucchine fritte. The short selection of red and white wines by the glass are decent value starting at just £4.15 for a glass of Sicilian Trebbiano rising to £10 for a more familiar Chianti. The sommelier was never far away and provided some well thought through recommendations for our mains. We enjoyed a fresh and vibrant Soave from Veneto whilst for dessert we were brought a a glass of Vin Santo, a Tuscan dessert wine which is classically served with Cantucci biscuits in many Tuscan households.
Overall thoughts?
While they are certainly an asset to this neighbourhood, Tinello could do with a slightly more innovative approach as taken by Italian restaurants in other parts of London such as Trullo, Zucca and Lardo. That said, it's run by a passionate duo who have built a strong following in their three year tenure judging from how busy they were on a Monday evening. The menu reflects their dedication to recreating an Italian dining experience which prides authenticity and honesty ahead of 'bling and baubles'.
Tinello is at 87 Pimlico Road, London SW1W 8PH . Find out more about Tinello
Follow Louis Fernando on Twitter at @tuckandvine and on his website Tuck & Vine.
Prices were correct at time of writing. Hot Dinners were invited to eat at Tinello.
