A Culinary Journey of Elegance, Authenticity, and Exceptional Flavours
Lissome Italian Restaurant on Kingsland Road offers an elegant ambiance and exceptional Italian cuisine. Expertly crafted cocktails, generous starters like Adriana Burrata and Spicy Butterfly Prawns, delightful mains like pumpkin raviolo and their signature pizza, showcase their culinary prowess. Despite a weak tiramisu, the dedication to quality and service shines through, making it a must-return dining spot.
Jimi Hajri may not sound like an Italian name, but don’t judge a book by it’s cover. Or in this case, don’t judge the cuisine by the cook’s name. Since 1995 he’s been working in foodservice, and all of it has been italian. Lissome is proof of his love of the Italian and his expertise in seeing it created.
We went to Lissome on Kingsland Road on a Wednesday night. The environment has a gentle elegance, velvet covered banquette with genuinely comfortable cushions, warm lighting that’s light enough to read the menu without squinting, low enough bring a little romance to the experience. The music added to the effect, italinate jazz, soft crooning, contemporary and nostalgic melodies to warm you on cold nights.
We started with the Truffle Sour cocktail. If you love truffles, having a sliver of it right under your nose as you sip the mellow complexity of this drink will thrill you. There’s a weird genius happening in the mix of amaro montenegro, truffle, and citrus. And its a sign of good things to come.
PHOTO: Woodfired perfection: Every slice tells a story of artisanal craftsmanship and Italian flavors at Lissome.
For starters we had the Adriana Burrata. The serving sizes of the starters at Lissome are just too big. If you want room to really enjoy your main, share one, or leave some on the plate. This is easier said than done considering the perfect creaminess of the burrata, and the impossible flavour of the beefsteak tomatoes. I’m working on a scheme to get hold of some of those tomatoes from his supplier. Great italian cooking is for me about starting with great produce, and finding flavourful tomatoes in December in London is an early Christmas miracle.
We also had the Spicy Butterfly Prawns. The sauce a rich tomato and wine gravy with layers of heat from different kinds of chili. The homemade bread that came with it gave more proof of Jimi and his team’s high standards. I would have asked for more bread to make the most of every last drop of the sauce, but we were already feeling the need to ensure we had room for what was to come.
The raviolo of the day was pumpkin. Generously filled parcels lightly scented with nutmeg, in a lemony sauce that was just the perfect balance to the pumpkin. Sometimes a sauce that looks that rich and buttery just drowns out the pasta, but this was light and fresh, leaving us feeling satisfied without being overwhelmed by butter. The Lissome pizza is a great showcase for their pizza skills. They make their own dough, and you really can taste it. The toppings are ample and flavourful, framed nicely by the freshness of the woodfired crust. When it comes to Italian food, my partner is pretty picky. He’s travelled all over Italy as a touring musician, and enjoyed home cooking and the best the locals have to offer everywhere from Trieste to Bar. The smile on his face as he tasted each successive dish reassured me that my assessment was correct. We had hit the jackpot.
The final test of the kitchen’s abilities was one specially cooked Arancini. And it was perfect. Crispy on the outside, fluffy with just a touch of cheesy comfort on the inside, subtle and light as can be.
For dessert we had Tiramisu and Chocolate Melt. The tiramisu was so weak on coffee that we couldn’t taste it at all, and to his credit Jimi gave it a good sniff and acknowledged the mistake, In the process we learned a lot about the process of making tiramisu. I would say I’ll try it myself at home, but to be honest next time I want one, I’ll just head over to Lissome. Though our wasn’t perfect this time, I have complete trust that Jimi will make it right next time. In fact, when we arrived, he was having his dinner and testing the food, giving feedback and making adjustments with his kitchen. This is a restaurant that serves to high standards, while making you feel at ease as you enjoy the gifts of their cooking.
Of all the places I’ve reviewed this year, this is one of them I’ll be back to for dinner.
