November 2016

Campania
Eating out
The old Jones's Dairy building is back in business as Italian
restaurant Campania, to the delight of Susan Birtwistle
It’s always been a fine-looking shop. I’d regularly
pop in to Jones's Dairy to buy bread from the
cranky shopkeeper or eat cake in the cold and
dank back room, just because it looked so
remarkable. Then it shut down and I no longer
had any reason to go to Ezra Street.
But now Campania has moved in and by 8.30am
I was already sitting down with an espresso and
croissant ordered. My daughter considers these
some of the best she’s ever tasted. But please
note that she’s also a big fan of Percy Ingle.
Emma Iantosca is now the lucky owner of what
has to be one of the most appealing shops in the
East End. Hers is a small family business, serving
food from Southern Italy. Campania is the region
her family is from.
The exterior remains untouched but now it’s
equally charming inside. Dark and cosy. You’ll
be sitting on an upholstered wall bench, at the
bar or at the window. It’s a little like being inside
someone’s home.
The open kitchen rustles up traditional homecooked
food in front of you. The food isn’t cooked
by Mama, here wonderful older men rule the gas
hobs.
Like them, the menu is short and hardcore
Italian. Four options of robust pasta dishes are
on offer and a few serious looking alternatives.
We enjoyed meatloaf and veal and followed that
with tiramisu. I’m not joking when I say traditional.
But it’s very good. This is quite possibly my new
favourite. It’s unfussy, authentic food.
The location is a little off the beaten track and
here the customers match the place’s casual cool.
The sartorial attire includes velvet patterned suits,
debonair shoes, fancy neck attire and that’s just
the men. I loved it.
£13-£22 per main course.
Campania, 23 Ezra Street, E2.
campaniaandjones.com
020 7613 0015