The trattoria is the sister restaurant of the more up market Semplice Restaurant located across the street. It is far more low-key and reservations are hardly needed.
I went for lunch and had their lunch special for 15.95 which was two courses and a glass of wine. There is also a happy hour from 4-7pm with beers at 1.90, wine at 2.90 and proseco at 4.25 -- quite a good deal for the area!
I would categorize the cuisine as a more southern, Sicilian and Puglian fare, but that's to say it is just definitely not Tuscan. As I starter I tried the grilled vegetable and smoked cheese salad, which I found to be a bit too greasy (as I find most grilled vegetables) and with little resemblance of a salad, and the swordfish and fennel salad, which was gorgeous. For the main portion I had the linguine with pesto, green beans and new potatoes -- very yummy if you like pesto! Their fish main looked very tasty as well. The house wine isn't too bad either, and the staff is very friendly, even if they hardly speak English.
If you're on Oxford street and want to dodge the crowds for a quiet lunch, this is a great spot, or even if you work in the area, a nice place to meet with a few colleagues for a drink, especially on a nice day as there are outside tables.
I still have yet to try it's posh sister, but given the experience here it's sure to be a traditional and yummy dinner! read more