Spuntino is one of those great little places that you only know about if you’ve heard about it. There’s no sign or markings on the building except a subtle little menu in the the only part of the window where the glass hasn’t been frosted.

Last week I had a friend from California in town wanting to catch up over lunch. This created the dilemma of having to choose one meal to represent the city’s incredibly diverse food scene. Rather than go for somewhere pulling out all the stops in a formal setting, I decided what better way than to dine in a quirky atmosphere with good, interesting food.

Spuntino, Venetian bácaro restaurant Polpo’s sister, is tucked away in the streets of Soho and does just that. There are no tables, only stools at the bar which are served by the friendly bartender. It’s all very Rock & Roll with exposed brick and industrial fittings, giving a similar feel to Russell Norman’s other places.

Whilst looking over the menu, we were served a mug of popcorn with chili salt to sprinkle over the top. A very different welcome to Spuntino which serves as a great introduction to the menu and venue itself.

It’s recommended to order the cicchetti, or Italian-style tapas, to share. We chose a selection and got chatting about her recent adventures around Europe.

Our dishes eventually arrived and we dug in. All were inventive, delicious and had surprisingly simple flavour.

Eggplant chips with fennel yoghurt 

Food porn alert:
Truffled egg on toast – yes, this tastes just as good and just as naughty as it looks!  Beetroot salad with smoked ricotta and walnuts  Beef & bone marrow slider and a pulled pork & pickled apple slider We polished off our plates before we said our goodbyes and I had to run back to work.

I highly recommend checking this place out for a quick bite & catch up with a friend. It would also be a great little low key date night before heading out on the town.

Here’s the address, as it’s tricky to find: 61 Rupert Street, Soho, London W1D 7PW
Oh! and promise me you’ll try the truffled egg on toast? It’s seriously worth it.