Carolyn O'Donnell

Happy hens, muscular salmon cured with Maldon sea salt and a jazzy film-inspired soundtrack are just some of the ingredients that make Satyrio wine shop and restaurant a great spot to stop off for a taste of Italia.

I was invited to the launch of Satyrio’s summer menu in Aldgate last week and behind the restaurant’s unassuming facade lies great culinary skill courtesy of chef Danny Martin and many, many bottles of fine wine. Like wonderful restaurants I have visited in Italy, Satyrio is proud to display its alcoholic wares on the wall, and I say a wall full of wine is just about the best kind of wall there is.

The a la carte menu is more extensive, but the tasting menu comprised five dishes that were full of deep flavour, yet light enough to be enjoyed during a heatwave. Many of the ingredients are sourced in Italy, or in partnership with High Quality Food, a supplier that works with local farmers and producers to deliver specialty ingredients.

First was a velvety beef tartare and creamy burrata, the tender yet full-bodied texture of the beef a product of grass-fed Fassone cattle roaming the foothills of northern Italy looking for pasture.

The second starter was a delicious sculpture of Maldon Salt-cured Scottish salmon, with avocado mousse, a tiny sweet melon and balsamic vinegar pearls, which was exquisitely arranged and with lots of complementary flavours.

The pasta course was al dente ravioli parcels of intense mushroom cream with parmesan crisps, crunchy crumbs of Norcia sausage and shaved truffle. The firm pasta was made with Italian eggs from the Uova di Fattoria, where hens are comforted by ceramic duplicates so they lay fewer but more nutritious eggs. It was delightfully earthy.

The main was “Italian sushi” – Sicilian red tuna dressed with oil and pink pepper, a rice tuile and horseradish mayo. This seafood treat could be enjoyed knowing that the red or bluefin tuna is a species that has not been overfished. Like everything else, this dish was impeccably assembled.

No matter how much I have eaten, there is always room for dessert. Not that it was difficult to make room for Rhapsody in Red – a celebration of the summer strawberry. In particular this dish features dried perfumed Tortona strawberry on the light cheesecake, accompanied by strawberry sorbet and nutty base. The Tortona strawberry is only available for around 10 days a year, and is a sought-after specialty of Piemonte. It was my first encounter with this berry and I hope there will be many more.

It was a splendid meal in convivial surroundings, with an imaginative dimension thanks to the dishes’ titles and their pairings with music, courtesy of Monica Olivieri. If you are in the Aldgate area, or anywhere in the City, and need an infusion of delectable Italian fare, then Satyrio should not disappoint.

Satyrio Wine Shop & Italian Cuisine: 49 Aldgate High St, London EC3N 1AL
http://satyrio.co.uk/