I worked at my friend’s dad’s modest Italian BYOB restaurant in southwest London one summer while I was on summer break from university. Every morning it was a greasy spoon in addition to offering up delicious and generously portioned pizzas, bruschettas, pastas, and risottos every evening.
In addition to the standard food of fry-ups, omelettes, and items on toast, you could also order cannelloni and chips, lasagna, or deep-fried pizza with tomato sauce. Imagine classic British fare with a hint of Italian culinary flair.
I’m familiar with the idea, so I was curious to learn about Cafe Britaly in Peckham, which honors “Britain’s love affair with Italian food.”
They are Richard and Alex, and they have both held positions at Bocca di Lupo as senior sous chef and general manager, respectively. They have given the concept of British and Italian fusion a little more thought than just tossing some chips on top of a meal. “Italian dishes more British, and British dishes more Italian” is the stated goal.
There remain remnants of the cafe I worked in many years ago, in certain aspects. The eatery is compact, featuring tightly spaced tables, a recognizable smoky aroma filling the air from the fryers’ grease seeping out of the open kitchen, and a menu that includes chip dishes.
The personnel is notably happier, more amiable, and not at all grouchy.
A fish finger sandwich with battered coley, tartare sauce, salsa rossa, and rocket is one of those “things with chips.” This delightful version of a childhood favorite is elevated to a great taste with a beautiful soft bap encasing the lightly battered, crunchy fish. At £12, you get a lot of value for your money.
The salsa rossa doesn’t quite sing, but the tartare sauce is bursting with flavor, which led me to believe that when something works, don’t try to change it and just keep with Heinz ketchup.
Perfectly crisp and hot, the chips are dipped into my guest’s sizzling “green lasagna,” a lighter take on the classic dish featuring green pasta, courgette, broccoli ragu, and a white cheddar sauce.
Of course, the idea behind this entire cafe would annoy a lot of Italians, but that’s not the purpose. It’s rich but delicate, making it a good substitute for people who would want something a little less greasy spoon-esque.
In relation to oil, there is the pizzetta crunch, which is a margarita pizza that is deep-fried. Though it tastes good, it’s definitely not the best item to eat in front of a main course that consists mostly of fried fish and potatoes.
This pays respect to Scotland’s pizza crunches in a classic way, and it naturally leaves a small oily patch on the greaseproof paper underneath.
This is essentially a terrific spot to nursing a hangover, and if you’re after the latter, the South London spritz, which consists of prosecco, red citrus, aromatic herbs, and soda, is just what you need to balance the cuisine and offer some hair of the dog. Very refreshing and not overly inebriated.
Since then, they’ve added a bloody mary with gherkin brine to the menu, and the next time I visit Peckham, I will most surely order that.
They also provide a full English that includes fried pizza dough, a “Britalian” carbonara with a fried egg on top, a ‘nduja scotch egg, pickled onions and mackerel bruschetta, and on Sundays, a porchetta roast served with salsa verde.
The motif is executed and carries across the menu in a pleasing yet understated manner, best exemplified by the maritozzo, an Italian cream bun topped with strawberry coulis and fresh British strawberries. A lovely fusion of elements that are traditionally Italian and uniquely English. It’s a rich and enjoyable way to cap off a really lovely dinner, especially when paired with a double espresso.
It seems that British food has existed for two millennia, dating back to the Roman establishment of London. I think Cafe Britaly is doing an amazing job of modernizing and adding to something without making it obnoxious, which is what frequently happens when something that is normally inexpensive gets marked up significantly just because it serves craft beer brewed in London and has some dried flowers on the table.
I’ll gladly add this café to my list of places to visit when I’m feeling a little under the weather and need something to clear my head. It manages to be creative, not take itself too seriously, and hasn’t given in to tiny portion sizes.
