Everything about Tozi oozes something smooth.
A breeze to get to being a five minute walk from Victoria. The spacious, cool and contemporary layout and décor. The sleek, swift (and suiting smart shirts) service. Their menu incorporating some wonderfully unique ingredients, such as their home made chestnut infused rum. And oh my god, the men. All the Italian men. Overall, I am all over it, and it has been decided that this place is definitely Tozi ‘Mazeballs.
We were placed in the hands of the lovely Ricardo who was going to skilfully create us a selection of their distinctive cocktails. Create is definitely the fitting word here as whilst admiring the mixologists piece together in both flavour and presentation perfection, you can really see how much special care and thought goes into the execution.
First up the Anita Ekberg. As sexy a drink as the sex symbol herself, famous for her role in the film La Dolce Vita. Combining some of my favourite flavours and ingredients; vodka (naturally), ginger, cucumber, chilli, and passion fruit puree – beautifully finished with a piece of passion fruit and chilli, not just for decoration. Big flavours but perfectly balanced- sweet, fruity & fiery. A must have when you visit Tozi.
Forest Gem. And quite a gem it is! Unfortunately part of their Christmas cocktails so now unavailable but still worth mentioning as it showcases Tozi’s creative flair and heart for real home-made delights, such as their chestnut infused rum. Essentially, a dessert in a martini glass, combining; chestnut rum, Grand Marnier, chestnut compote, and double cream. Probably one of the best cocktails I have had the pleasure of trying.
During this cocktail we sampled Tozi’s home-made biscotti and shortbread which were both equally delicious.
Sage & Pepper – Interesting twist with sage as a flavour in this cocktail- but it works wonderfully. It also includes egg white, which I love and is why an Amaretto Sour is my favourite drink. There is a strong gin hit in this Sage & Pepper cocktail made up from; Bombay Sapphire, Mandarin Napoleon, lemon juice, sage leaves, peppercorns, and egg white.
We also ordered some Calamari and a Crab Ravioli. The calamari was fresh and crunchy, and the crab ravioli was superb. Italians and pasta just work and this was no exception. Lovely light pasta encasing a smoky garlic crab centre- absolutely fantastic. As we were sharing there was a battle for the last piece. We ordered off their Cicchetti menu (meaning small dishes), perfect for grazing and sharing whilst sipping cocktails. Pizzetta, Fritti, Duck Ragu, Lamb Milanese, Lobster Linguine and plenty more lovely little dishes feature as Cicchetti.
Tozi change their cocktail menu according to the season and I am extremely keen to see what’s in store for the rest of the year (and already pining for that chestnut infused rum to come back next Winter). Tozi is fresh in every sense and with it’s relaxed atmosphere, friendly (and did I mention gorgeous) staff, and short distance from Victoria, I can see this being a regular haunt for me before I come home as a perfect close to my London visits.
It’s also worth mentioning the restaurant offers pre-theatre deals of £19.95 for 3 courses, and also have a private dining area available for hire. Keeping true to their roots their wine list is exclusive to produce of Italy, oh and they have Prosecco on tap!
ADDRESS: 8 Gillingham Street, London. SW1V 1HJ
VENUE PHONE: 020 7769 9771
WESITE: http://www.tozirestaurant.co.uk
PRICE: £££ (explained)
RATING: ★★★★★ (explained)
TIPPING POLICY: Discretionary service charge of 12.5% added to bill
