One of the main reasons I started my blog was for my love of eating out and #DiscoveringDifference in all things food to share with you all, so you can imagine how hard it has been for me not being able to do that properly due to COVID-19! I obviously abused the Eat Out To Help Out Scheme last year, but because the hospitality industry was closed for so long, it was difficult to research new restaurants to try out and book them due to the uncertainty of lockdowns, so it was easier to just stay local.
As soon as lockdown restrictions began to ease in London after our third lockdown and we were allowed to eat outdoors at restaurants again, I thought enough is enough. I haven’t eaten out for 5 months so I’m braving the cold and venturing out to my favourite foodie spot; Shoreditch.
My fiancé recently opened up a new barbershop in Old Street (go check it out), so every time I’ve gone there, I’ve been studying the empty restaurants nearby and obviously the hand-made pasta and burrata on the menu at Italian restaurant Passo caught my eye.
Located just off Old Street roundabout, Passo is a rustic modern Italian restaurant with a cosy terrace and a changing menu influenced by regional traditions throughout Italy. As they utilise seasonal ingredients, I was worried that I might not get the burrata that I was craving so badly but boy was I in luck!
Starters
Admittedly, I’ve not ever had burrata with these ingredients before. I’m used to having it in a more traditional style with some olive oil, charcuterie & some crusty bread, but this really worked and felt more like a starter should. Often when I eat burrata, I’ll get full up on all the bread it’s served with because I just can’t help myself, so the thin crisp bread was a really great touch to keep it nice and light.
That was until the amazing garlic bread came out…
What I loved about this garlic bread was that it was actually a pizza so was quite thick and didn’t go soggy like most garlic breads do. I also loved the fact that the garlic wasn’t too overpowering so you could really taste the mozzarella which makes a nice change and screams authenticity to me. To top it off, the mozzarella wasn’t so stringy either which made it a lot easier to eat too.
By the time we’d finished our starters, the sun had started to set and the bitter British breeze had hit. What better way to warm up than a glass of red whilst waiting for your main course?
For the first time in my life, I didn’t spend ages deliberating over which wine to pick at a restaurant. The wine list at Passo was minimal, but certainly not lacking, so it was easy to pick one out that I liked straight away.
Main Courses
Shortly after, the main event arrived; the home-made pastas. Wow.
Truffle in the pasta AND the cream I hear you say. Isn’t that too much? Absolutely not. As you might be able to tell from the pictures, the pasta had really small shavings of truffle so it was just the right amount. Bravo. Oh and the pasta was cooked to al dente perfection. There’s nothing worse than a creamy sauce with soggy pasta!
When eating out I tend to avoid ragù dishes as I feel like they can be easily replicated at home but the tender smoked lamb shoulder and n’duja really set this off.
Final Thoughts
Overall, I really enjoyed our meal at Passo and thought it was great value for money in terms of quality. The handmade pasta on its own was worth the money in my opinion! In terms of value for money in terms of quantity however, the dishes were on the slightly smaller side so I’d recommend ordering an additional main to share.
Although I didn’t get to go inside, the rustic, sheek interior looks great for a casual meal. The outdoor terrace was buzzing at the beginning of May so I can only imagine how bustling it will be in the summer for a few aperitifs!
Dinner for 2 including 4 dishes, olives, dessert and a bottle of wine came to around £90.
#DiscoverDifference for yourself and visit Passo
80 City Road, London EC1Y 2BJ
Discovering Difference 