J'AIME March 2018

options so we asked our charming waiter Ignacio for
his advice.
To get a feel for Fumo’s culinary credentials we wanted
a good balance of dishes, and could have easily been
tempted into ordering considerably more than we
eventually decided on. There’s so much choice, with
everything from pizza, pasta and risotto to Italian street
food and beautiful seafood, and a specials menu adds a
whole host more seasonal treats.
The tuna tartare, £8.15, was our first pick, along with
the gamberoni, or fried Sicilian prawns, £8.15. The
tuna, which was mixed with olive oil, French mustard,
lemon juice and rocket, was a beautifully fresh
mouthful, really bursting with flavour, and definitely
something I’d order again. The prawns, which were
breadcrumbed and deep-fried, were huge, wonderfully
sweet and juicy.
We were trying to decide on a pasta or risotto dish
when Ignacio pointed out one of the specials, a king
prawn and saffron risotto which sounded delicious.
He also suggested the beef tagliata, £10.95, grilled
fillet steak marinated in chilli and garlic, topped with
parmesan and rocket, plus the zucchini fritte, £3.20.
The risotto was perfectly cooked and jam-packed with
sizeable prawns, which were sweet and succulent. The
saffron gave a delicate sweet note and a vibrant colour,
and the portion was also ample to give both of us a
decent plateful.
By contrast, the beautifully rare steak had a lovely
chargrilled flavour - exactly what you look for in a
good steak, while the chillies were piquant rather
than overwhelmingly hot, adding just a nice touch of
warmth. The courgette fries were perfectly seasoned
and a fantastic complement to the steak.
With the savoury dishes done, it was time to go back
to the cocktail menu before dessert. My Italian Punch,
£9.95 - again recommended by Ignacio - combined
two types of gin with yuzu juice, blackberries and
elderflower tonic to mouth-watering effect. The
sour citrus notes of the yuzu juice and the sweet
blackberries created a well-balanced and refreshing
long drink.
But it was the Gin Twist, £9.95, which was the
standout of the meal. This concoction of Martin
Miller’s gin, Lillet Blanc, fresh celery and ginger served
in a stylish cocktail coupe was a glorious sip, quite
unlike anything I’ve ever had before but something I
can’t wait to try again.
When it came to dessert, we took advantage of the
sharing plate option, £10.95, which promised a
selection of tasty treats perfect for two. Picture perfect
cubes of tiramisu, cheesecake, chocolate and hazelnut
torte, pistachio mousse and millefoglie - an Italian
version of a vanilla custard slice - plus a helping of
gelato were as tasty as they were pretty.
We finished the meal the Italian way, with a suitably
strong espresso, and with minor regrets that we’d
restrained ourselves with the number of dishes we’d
sampled. There was the lobster ravioli, and the ragufilled
arancini, and what about the pizzas we didn’t get
to try?
Which only means one thing - a return visit is surely on
the cards. After all, those Gin Twists are calling.
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