Legare - London Bridge, London

Shad Thames is a rather special warren of Victorian brick avenues tucked away below Tower Bridge, which makes the pilgrimage to Legare for pitch-perfect pasta all the more appealing. Launched by chef Matt Beardmore of Trullo and GM Jay Patel of Barrafina, there's been a lot of chatter about the things they're doing with modern Italian. Additionally, Cameron Dewar of Elystan Street and Londrino has put together a natural wine list that pulls no punches. We visited on a dark Wednesday evening to see whether the destination is worth the journey. 

Situated on the southern side of the street, the dining room is rather austere, riveting the attention on plate and glass. Brushed concrete floors, light woods and Scandinavian designs set the tone, with whitewashed walls hung with modern art. Both the kitchens and the wine counter are open plan, the former visible to the dining room beyond a lightwood cabinet-counter freighted with glassware, bottles and bread. We kicked back with an exceptionally mineral bottle of Le Pianure Bianco and had a gander at the menu. 

Starters were prepared with care and precision. Stracciatella, the innards of burrata, luxuriated in Chiavalon olive oil alongside winningly bitter roasted raddichio. Fett'unta (toasted bread similar to bruschetta) was laden with seductively black Iberiko tomatoes, anchovies and a nutty salmoriglio sauce, while cuttlefish hit high notes of richness with white beans and Devil's Mortar (a spicy British riff on nduja sausage). Tagliolini was supercharged with egg yolk and served with palourde clams vongole-style while toothsome al dente orecchiette was paired with astringent cime di rapa and robust pecorino. A chocolate torte with crème fraiche brought the meal to an indulgent full stop. 

Legare offers a masterclass in Italian perfection. Well worth a visit.