Fitzrovia is dominated by Charlotte Street - London's foodie avenue - and, further afield, a speckle of little cafes hide in this leafy city oasis. Walking (or cabbing, as the case might be) along one of the quiet bits on Saturday evening, the only life evident is the bright blinking neon sign of the 24hour off licence; even the ugly mess of roadworks is quiet. And then there is Sardo.
Don't be deceived by its white tablecloth sereneness - this place is shot through with Italian energy of a very low and gossamer kind. I always find it exotic to have food that is best described as passionate in a tranquil setting - it reminds me of home, or tackling fiery hot chilli crab by the beach in Koh Samui, or listening to Mozart's Requiem in a candlelit church (which was where we had just come from).
I had been looking forward to my Linguine al granchio the entire evening (although I enjoyed the concert too...)! Described on the menu as "a Sardo favourite with a sauce made of fresh crab meat, extra virgin olive oil, parsley and fresh chillies". Some people might find it too salty, but I thought it was just perfect. It's the kinda thing that you want a kick out of, not that taste-the-natural-sweetness-of-the-crab lark that would be approriate elsewhere. One of the company had also suggested the Calamari ripieni ("grilled baby squid filled with a mixture of calamari meat and aromatic herbs") to share, which he didn't like, but which I was quite happy to polish off. I was naughty and kept feeding my fetish for squeezing things (toothpaste tubes and other unmentionables at the dinner table) by poking the perfectly formed squid with my fork so that the yummy peppery filling would ooze out. Oh well, I was with laid back (but nonetheless polite) company anyway - the best kind (one Australian, two Americans, no Brits... hee, just kidding).
Verdict: Starters and mains were great and colourful in flavour - heartiness in just the right amount! Be careful with the robust wines - something lighter (and less peppery) might have been more soothing, I think. Desserts were disappointing. Will definitely come back.
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