The understated allure of Café Cecilia

One of London’s hottest openings of 2021, I was glad to get a relatively early taste of Café Cecilia before the world and its wife flocked to this unassuming spot alongside Regent’s Canal. With Max Rocha at the helm (son of John and brother of Simone), it should come as no surprise that this is one stylish venue. Bringing family and heritage further to the fore, the restaurant is named after Rocha’s grandmother and the menu is inspired by his mother’s cooking in his hometown of Dublin.

As an ode to a Portuguese summer – which, pandemic aside, is the one I would’ve had – I ordered a white port and tonic to begin my leisurely Friday lunch. After perusing the menu (and ogling what looked best on the plates passing by to fellow diners), here’s what I went for…

A plate of sage and anchovy fritti made sure the meal was off to a flying start. It’s a well-known fact (or at least it should be) that sage makes everything better. So when its earthiness is deep fried together with anchovies, it passes into a new realm of deliciousness.

Then came a pizzetta topped with taleggio and girolles. The pizzetta base was both crispy and light in texture, which paired brilliantly with the smooth but tangy cheese oozing across the top.

Next, onto the fennel, bobby bean and green goddess salad. Now normally, if someone named a salad their favourite part of a meal, I’d be inclined to raise an eyebrow. But going against my own judgement, this salad was the star of the leisurely summer lunch show. Fennel and bobby beans lathered in that green goddess goodness? Life changer.

The last dish to arrive was quail on toast. Eggy bread like my grandma used to make with tender, juicy and fabulously flavourful quail and a punchy salsa verde to cut through.

Three words: believe the hype. Three more: make a reservation.