Already popular in Paris, Daroco opened its doors late last year in the heart of Soho. Part of a brand new development, sneakily tucked away behind Greek Street, it joins Aussie restaurant Milk Beach in this upmarket mews, and comes with an inviting outdoor terrace and underground drinking den called Wacky Wombat. Note to self; when the streets of Soho are overflowing with boozy revellers, this is the place to come for golden hour and beyond.
But if you’re expecting classic French cuisine, you’ve come to the wrong place. Daroco’s menu offers pizza and pasta, with a scattering of antipasti and larger meaty plates in-between. Made with authentic Italian ingredients, dishes are mainly intended to be shared — so far, so failsafe. However, what really sets this place apart is the décor. It’s quite the looker, with a mirrored ceiling, velvet banquettes, marbled tables and a pizza oven covered in blue butterflies. More, is undoubtedly more.
We’d recommended kicking off with a plate of crisp arancini, stuffed with braised leeks, smokey scamorza cheese, red peppers and a generous dusting of pecorino. And while not cheap, the individual roasted scallops with white wine and sun-dried tomato butter, topped with nduja crumbs and served in shell, were quite simply sublime.
We regret not finding space for a pizza on this visit, however, the homemade pasta was calling our name. And unlike some Soho pasta joints where you need at least two or three plates per person, here portions are comfortingly generous. The mafalde with pistachio basil pesto and stracciatella proved a highlight for both of us, and elsewhere the pappardelle with sweet venison ragu is the kind of warming dish that will turn a bad day, right around.
Chocolate mousse is “having a moment” featuring on just about every menu in town right now. And although simple, it’s still one of our all-time favourite desserts. The perfect punctuation mark after a heavy meal, it’s just a straightforward hit of something chocolatey and sweet. Here it’s served with a savoury crumble and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil for good measure.
Sadly Wacky Wombat (the basement bar), wasn’t open when we visited at lunch, but we have it on good authority that they make a cracking cocktail, and we’re promised that it’s a lively affair!
