Those Autumn evenings are setting in and we’re fleeing the beer gardens and rooftops for cosy warm places to enjoy our pasta…
Mamma Anna & Co is a warm, bustling family business that shines brightly among the monochrome chain restaurants that now dominate the food scene. Yes Mamma Anna & Co is run by Anna and her uber talented sons and daughter but what really differentiates Mamma Anna & Co from other family run eateries is that they have built a “deli-come-dining” experience around the concept and theme of “family”.
It’s as if you are invited into a family home for dinner with an Italian food shop upstairs and small private dining room down below. The open-plan shop allows you to see the Lotito clan working their culinary magic right in front of your eyes as they make up fresh Italian wholesome favourites using only the finest organic ingredients sourced either from local suppliers, Italian artisans or indeed from their very own Italian estate. On display you have handmade pasta and mouth-watering sauces, two of which need particular mention – the pesto and walnut sauce alone justify a trip to Mamma Anna & Co – hard to resist sides from Gnocchi Alla Romana to Ricotta & Mortadella Quiche, stunning mains and truly yummy deserts including Mamma’s very own twist on the Almond Biscotti. And true family food is healthy too. No additives and nothing processed, for example Mamma Anna & Co’s pastry only contains four ingredients including water. Compare that to commercial pastry you can buy in gourmet shops which invariably will contain at least 20 ingredients.
You can either choose to eat in Mamma Anna & Co at the kitchen table with the hustle and bustle and noise of a working kitchen, complete with running commentary by the Lotito clan, mouth-watering aromas and free flowing wine; or you can choose to take-out and impress your friends at home – as long as they don’t ask they can think you are a genius chef. As if that is not enough you can even ask Mamma Anna & Co to cook you some bespoke dishes, recommend particular wines for your home dinner party, and if you really want to impress, Anna and her team will even come and cook at yours. Now that is fresh home cooking!
Mamma Anna & Co really want you to see the food, enjoy the food and share in its secrets. Most of these recipes have been lovingly handed down from one generation to the next and now you too can learn the secrets by joining a cooking lesson at the shop. These are held every Saturday at 3pm. Every week is a different dish and also offer an opportunity to enjoy a wine tasting lesson from the award winning sommelier son Marco, who learnt his craft at a number of Michelin starred restaurants. All of this for a very reasonable £42.
On a Friday or Saturday night join a “Social” evening which is an opportunity to enjoy everything on offer at Mamma Anna & Co in a warm family atmosphere along with eight other diners. If you want the intimacy of your friends you can choose a “Private” evening where Mamma Anna & Co’s private dining room is available for hire for up to eight friends and family. Either way the menu is a secret and will consist of six courses with complementary wines chosen lovingly and expertly by Marco. But don’t worry in true Mama Anna & Co style every dish, its ingredients, and how it has been cooked, will then be explained to you.
3 Charleville Road, London, W14 9JL
Opening times: Monday to Saturday, 11.30am to 7.30pm
Twitter: @ma_and_co
Instagram: @ma_and_co
