Bottega 35 Kensington

"The basic footprint may be the same but everything else has changed. Some places I have reviewed have been through four or five iterations which sometimes brings on a case of the vapours, normally mitigated by a cocktail or two. So, I had some reservations when asked to review Bottega 35, a recently opened Italian restaurant just behind the bustle of Kensington High Street on the site of Latin American favourite Zuaya."

"If Zuaya was all about being immersed in Amazonian foliage, Bottega 35 is very much a chic Tuscan farmhouse, albeit one with house music burbling away in the background. There are rough-hewn dark wooden floors, plaster walls, Tuscan earth colours, antique chests, a gorgeous vintage record player and some fabulous glass light fittings to get you in the mood. Apparently, the partner of one of the group's owners is a restaurant designer and it shows."

"From the Antipasti menu we had a hot, tasty mushroom arancini perched on a cheese sauce puddle. Less successful were the thin strips of fried zucchini which were a little greasy and had clearly been sitting for a while before being served. A main dish of chicken Milanese came with a deliciously salty Parmesan butter. From the Fish & Seafood list, the fried mixed seafood (fritto misto) came crisp and hot from the fryer. There was a good mix of seafood."

Bottega 35 occupies the former Zuaya site just behind Kensington High Street and is owned by the Zandi brothers' Emerald Hospitality Group. The interior resembles a chic Tuscan farmhouse with rough-hewn dark wooden floors, plaster walls, Tuscan earth colours, antique chests, a vintage record player, glass light fittings, basement seating and outside tables. Italian wines include Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico and Gavi di Gavi il Portino. Antipasti included a hot mushroom arancini and thin fried zucchini. Mains featured a tenderised chicken Milanese with salty Parmesan butter and a crisp, hot fritto misto with a good mix of seafood.

Read at www.london-unattached.com