The other day I met with my dear friend Sarah for tea after work on a Monday. After spending an hour talking about our lives at the Wolseley we decided to go grab a bite nearby. The options were a burger or a pizza surprisingly isn’t it? Anyway, Sarah recommended going to Princi in Soho.
Busy Communal Dinning Table
I have never been in the place and I was a little surprise by the concept, Italian fast food bakery style, you arrive to the place, look for a sit or actually fight for it because the place is packed, and then proceed to the counter to choose what to eat. You can find a good selection of fresh bread, pizzas, focaccias, salads, pasta, pastry and desserts like a traditional tiramisu. Moreover, during lunchtime, you can order your ad hoc pizza for takeaway.
The Bar and the Water Touch in the Decor
Counting out time
Pizza hopefully not from Poppie?
The concept was borne in Milan by artisan baker Rocco Princi, simply a trendy/stylish bakery always open to taste Mediterranean specialties. Apparently, Giorgio Armani designed the staff uniforms, and definitely, it has a trendy architectural style. Five locations four in Milan and one in the British Capital thanks to Alan Yau, yes the chef/restaurateur behind Wagamama, Busaba Ethai, Hakkasan, and Cha Cha Moon between other ventures, now he joined forces with Rocco to bring this communal seating Italian fast bakery concept to London.
A bit of everything
I decided to try a little bit of everything, so I got a slide of salami pizza, a chicken and avocado salad, and the rustici one with ham and the other ricotta and spinach, they reminded me back home when I had pastelitos for breakfast.
Rustici
Poppie is a little Sloppy
As an odd revelation I got dessert, I couldn’t resist the look of the tiramisu and profiteroles in the counter.
Sweet Child O' Mine
My Sweet Home Alabama selection
Good flavours, fast service for a fast pace Capital, convenient location, and modest prices. Definitely an option for our hectic life here in London, probably not the best choice for Italians who prefer to enjoy their meals and get a more relax atmosphere.
In my humble point of view I would have prefer the rustici to be hot just taken from the oven, as I remember having those back home. The pizza was nice, tagglio style just like Rome, the salad not the best I have had even though the combination just felt right, finally the profiteroles were a little bit dry and the tiramisu was great, not the best one in London but a quite decent one. Definitely, Italian flavours in a fast food concept that can compromise the traditional north Italian cuisine, but the success of the place indicates otherwise.
Maestro: And then about four years ago I was on holiday in Tuscany.
Elaine: Uh ha.
Maestro: And I fell in love with this house.
Waiter: Are you ready to order?
Elaine: Oh God. What are you getting Bob?
Maestro: Good question. We'll need a few minutes. You know, I'm sorry but, I didn't mention it earlier but actually I preferred to be called Maestro.
Elaine: Excuse me?
Maestro: Well, you know I am a conductor.
Elaine: Yeah, so?
Maestro: Oh I suppose it's O.K. for Leonard Burnstein to be called Maestro because he conducted the New York Philharmonic. So he gets to be called Maestro and I don't.
Elaine: Well, I mean don't you think that he was probably called Maestro while he was conducting, not in social situations. I mean his friends probably just called him Lenny.
Maestro: I happen to know for a fact, that he was called Maestro in social situations. I once saw him at a bar and someone came up to him and said "Hello Maestro, how about a beer". O.K. So that's a fact.
Elaine: Maestro huh? O.K.
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