Zilli green

[bellybuddha]

Aldo Zilli has opened up a veggie Italian restaurant in Soho. Has anyone been or seen this yet? I for one am very excited to try it out and have just booked a table for mothers day. The menu looks imaginative and I am very much intrigued in trying out the tiramisu that is vegan whoohoo.

[Butterfly]

There are a few posts in the Vegan London part 3 thread about it =)

[bellybuddha]

thanks butterfly

[Hemlock]

Oh dear, read the Guardian review today - it is a stinking one and quite rightly too by the sounds of it:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/mar/13/zilli-green-london-restaurant-review

Sounds like they need to pull their socks up.

[harpy]

That doesn't sound good, however some of the people here who've been there quite liked it. Some restaurant critics are a bit biased against vegetarian restaurants, not sure if that one is. Am hoping to go soon so will let you know my verdict :)

[BlackCats]

That review was a bit harsh.:amazed_ani: I quite liked the food there but I agree it is too cramped.

[bellybuddha]

Well, they've confirmed my booking and I have to say I am feeling a bit nervous about it all having read the reviews. I know that most newspaper critics are usually harsh when it comes to vegetarian/vegan food. I remember the bad review Metro gave to Saf when that opened. Yet when I tried it, it was fantastic. But having read reviews from normal people it just makes me wonder if it's worth going. I guess I should just make my own mind up. Will let you all know how it goes.

[bellybuddha]

Back from Zilli Green. well, after being fearful of all the bad reviews of the place I must say that it is well worth making one's own mind up. My hubby and I both thoroughly enjoyed lunch there today. We were shown to the downstairs part of the restaurant where it was actually a lot better and quieter than the very crowded upstairs room. The only thing was that they didn't have many highchairs. Although the waiter did make the effort in phoning around to see if they could get any to borrow. Unfortunetly they couldn't find any.
We started off with their bread basket which was really lovely fresh, soft bread. They had this amazing white balsamic vinegar which was delightful. Great stuff. I then had the tofu steak with the Asian style salad. The tofu was flavoursome and the salad was lovely too, though I would have liked a little bit more though. I also had a side of artichoke chips. YUM! My husband had the polenta with lentils and sausage which he really enjoyed. It came on a bread board. At first he thought it was a rather small portion but on chomping down he found it to be filling.
Dessert was an absolute delight. We had the Vegan Tiramisu and the lemencello cheesecake. Again, as most people found it was very small portion. But oh my, the Tiramisu was amazing. Light, delicately flavoured and oh so yummy. I would be back just for that. The cheesecake was just sweet enough and it was nice that the cheese bit of the cake wasn't your usual creamy cheese but slightly more solid. All in all it was a really lovely experience. I would go again though not if I was mega hungry. The bill came up to £52 including service charge. Not too bad. But I must admit a couple of hours later I am quite peckish.

[VeganMonkey]

Glad you had a good time bellybuddhu. I thought the Guardian review was too harsh. I agree with you though that the portions are a bit on the small side. I thought the tiramisu was okay and the rest of my food was really tasty. I didn't see the downstairs but I'd like to sit there next time - the tables upstairs are far too close together...!

[BlackCats]

We started off with their bread basket which was really lovely fresh, soft bread. They had this amazing white balsamic vinegar which was delightful. Great stuff. I then had the tofu steak with the Asian style salad. The tofu was flavoursome and the salad was lovely too

I tasted the bread and the tofu dish and they were both gorgeous.:)

[cacatua]

I visited Zilli green yesterday, and having heard mixed opinions I wasn't expecting much but I was pleasently suprised!

The place was rather quiet when we arrived (Monday lunch time), first we sat outside in the sun, but then it started to rain so moved inside, we took our pick of table and went for a table of 4 (it was just 2 of us!) at the back in a separate little "room"..
anyway, FOOD:

For starters we shared tempura,, my oh my ! it was delicious! I’d never tried tempura….
Courgettes, artichockes and samphire(apologies for my apalling spelling!) fried in a very light flavoursome batter, with a soy based dipping sauce, if you ever go, try this!

Then being greedy pigs, we decided to have a main each, and another to share!
(needless to say, we were stuffed and my friend got most her main to take away), I had the Tagliatelle, Porcini Mushrooms & White Truffle Oil .
It was BEAUTIFUL, everything I want pasta to be, flavoursome, creamy, decadent http://s.wordpress.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif


We shared seared tofu “steak” with asian salad, was nice, but by this point I was rather stuffed so wasn’t over impressed…

We shared 2 desserts (yes when I said we were greedy I meant it!) warm brownie with pistachio ice cream, and rhubarb tart with custard, BOTH AMAZING…coudn’t say which is better….
Oh and to drink I had “Also’s favorite” a thick smoothie with avocado, bannana, spinach, celery and maybe pinnaple? It was lovely!
so my score:9/10
Plenty of vegan options, also plenty of gluten free options for the gluten free-ers out there .

I'm definitely going to return!

[Ruby Rose]

I hadn't thought some of those things were vegan having looked at their menu, cacatua? What was the pistachio ice-cream made with, do you know?

[Mr Flibble]

I'm afraid my review falls into the disappointed / ripped off camp:

http://lustrousmusings.blogspot.com/2010/05/zilli-green.html

[cacatua]

I hadn't thought some of those things were vegan having looked at their menu, cacatua? What was the pistachio ice-cream made with, do you know?

They are vegan for sure, some were just vegan (like the tempura, the tofu steak and salad and the rubarb tart with custard, apparently the only custard they have is vegan) and for the pasta they have vegan option, it's soy cream...
the ice cream was soya based too, but you had to specify...there was a choice of vegan ice cream between hazelnut and pistachio..

I just read your review mr fibble, I think you were probably unlucky wit your choices..I think Zilli being an italian restaurant their best dishes are probs the pasta and risottos (My friend had been before and told me the risotto she had was gorgeous)..

I thought there was plenty of tofu with that dish, but that said, I had already had a main and half a starter!

My friend paid, so I didn't get to see the bill, but I'm thinking it probably came to around 50 pounds for the two of us....

It's the sort of place I feel you can take omni's to and all be satisfied, it's also quite grand, opposed to most places I usually eat, so I'm planning on taking my grandparents (who I'm sure wouldn't enjoy the hustle and bustle of mildreds)

Anyway, that's just my opinion!

[Marrers]

I'm planning on taking my grandparents (who I'm sure wouldn't enjoy the hustle and bustle of mildreds)
From what I hear it is quiet at lunchtimes but from my experience in the evenings it's just as busy and loud as Mildreds.

[harpy]

I went a while ago for dinner with vegetarian OH and a couple of omnivorous friends and we all liked it. (Can't remember whether I wrote about it here at the time, obviously if I did it wasn't on this thread!)

I didn't find the food exceptional but everything I had was quite nice or better, and I didn't think it was particularly expensive for the type of place and the location. Having said that, it's more expensive than a lot of veggie restaurants (though cheaper than Saf surely?).

[cacatua]

It's deff. cheaper than saf, but less healthy too! I think the portions in SAF are smaller...but I am a pig (I shared a main and a half!)

[BlackCats]

I had the Tagliatelle, Porcini Mushrooms & White Truffle Oil . It was BEAUTIFUL, everything I want pasta to be, flavoursome, creamy, decadent http://s.wordpress.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif

I loved that dish.:satisfied: I'm going back there next week specifically to have that again.:devil:

[BlackCats]

I ate at Zilli Green again and I really like the food there. We got there about 6.30 and sat upstairs and it was much less cramped/ busy than last time. I think the food is yummy, it's probably one of my favourite places in London alongside Peking Palace.:)

[Marrers]

High praise indeed! I'd really like to go back there too.

[Barry]

I'm going to be in London for the weekend and was thinking of hitting this place on Friday night. Just tried to make a reservation on-line but it says that they have to made seven days in advance! SO.. Does anyone think it'll be possible to just walk in and get a table on a friday night, or will it be too busy?

[harpy]

It was pretty busy when I went on a Friday night so I wouldn't bank on being able to walk in - though it may be less busy now it's been open a while.

I think you might be able to phone up and make a reservation though - it possibly just means they don't check their e-mail that often! I think I ended up phoning anyway because I wasn't sure if they'd had the e-mail one.

[Barry]

Thanks for the info Harpy, I think I'll give them a call before we get the ferry tomorrow in that case.

[Marrers]

Yeah I'd also phone Barry, I never trust those online booking things and would be especially keen to know the booking was definite if I was travelling any distance for it.

So where else are you planning to go on your visit?

[Barry]

Tai buffet! I spent a few months living in seven sisters about five or six years ago when I was travelling around Europe, and I used to absolutely live in the one in Camden. Aside from that not much really, we're fairly booked for the weekend. There's a 30th birthday party on a boat on the Thames on Saturday, and then Rage Against The Machine on Sunday, so there's not much time left for anything else. I'd like a few more days, I haven't been in London in two years and I love it there I have to say.