Let’s get one thing clear from the start, The Three Bridges isn’t just a restaurant, it’s also a temple to Italian food. Owners Marco Cristaldi and Antonio Lombardi have spared no expense or energy in sourcing fresh Italian produce at every turn and the result is a gastronomically religious experience. From the moment the first olives were brought to the table, there’s pride and passion in every mouthful. Ask the garrulous Antonio any question about the dishes and his encyclopaedic knowledge of Italian food and wine will give you history, source (both geographical and anatomical), aging process and preparation. So a simple question about the pancetta elicited the fact that it is back and shoulder of Italian pig, cold pressed for 25 to 35 days with pepper and sea salt, and hung to dry for up to five months – and you can really taste all that in every moist, melt-in-your-mouth bite. Ask about the bread they bake every morning and you discover where and how the olives which infuse the bread were dried in the winter sun. Head Chef Pier Cottino also makes the pastas and here again the passion and skill made all the difference. The tagiatelli was so deliciously light and thin that it could actually be eaten without sauce. The base of my pizza was also light and the opulent topping of taleggio cheese and smoked sturgeon’s roe, served with white grape was Antonio’s own creation. Like everything else in here, the wine list is also ostensibly Italian, lovingly collected from all over the country and sporting a range of rare gems – the origins and preparation of which can, of course, be related by Antonio. This is Italian food, wine and hospitality at its very best.
Two-course meal for two with bottle of wine: £50