Gallio Fitzrovia. Discover A Taste Of Delicious Mediterranean Sharing Plates.

Andy Mossack eats at Gallio Fitzrovia and takes a deep delve into Mediterranean sharing plates.

Here’s the thing about these recent hot summer days we’ve been having in London, they add something of a continental feel to our streets, particularly the balmy evenings. People are strolling and, depending on their destination, wearing some classy loose white linen, or, at the clubbing end of the scale, very little.

Either way, having some very tasty Mediterranean sharing plates pre-theatre, pre-clubbing or just for a cool social get together with some cocktails and wine would seem to be just the ticket.

I was having these musings while sitting outside Gallio Fitzrovia on their terrace in Charlotte Street, one of London’s most iconic streets.

Gallio Fitzrovia is the new stablemate to the original Gallio at Cabot Square, Canary Wharf and the latest outpost from the Stafford Collection. It’s an impressive portfolio which includes Norma London directly opposite Gallio Fitzrovia, Mayfair’s five-star Stafford London hotel, Michelin-starred chef Michael Caines at The Stafford – his new restaurant residency – and the equally luxurious Lympstone Manor in Devon.

The Gallio concept is centred around friends and family sharing plates with the food of the Levant at its beating heart. A cuisine concept tailor-made for just this type of eating whether it be breakfast, lunch or dinner. And let’s face it, who can resist the lure of eastern Mediterranean comfort classics like baba ganoush, hummus and tear and share freshly baked breads?

So, I was really looking forward to taking a deep dive into a menu loaded with just this kind of fare, and it kicked off perfectly when I found out we had bagged an outside table. Now, admittedly Charlotte Street is not exactly a bijou Greek island marina, but still, it was a warm night and there was plenty of passing people watching to be had in place of gently bobbing yachts.

Mediterranean yellow interiors across two floors connected by an iron spiral staircase offered a welcoming space, but the ground floor open bakery was all the theatre I needed to get my juices going. A bread chef preparing dough out front while the seductive smell of just baked Za’atar flatbreads emanating from the ovens behind reminded me of middle eastern street food.

We kicked off with a couple of picks from the mezze menu starters. Plenty of choices here including baked feta (£9) and a cashew labneh (£6). We decided on a plate of fetteh, an Arabic staple made with garlic hummus, tahini yogurt, chickpeas and pomegranate seeds and covered with freshly roasted fetteh chips. (£9). Plus, the aforementioned baba ganoush made with roasted aubergine and tahini (£8). Pride of place was a fresh tear and share za’ata flatbread (£5) from an impressive bread menu that included cheese manakish (£8) sesame simit ring (£3) and pitta (£3).

The flatbread arrived piping hot, together with our two generously piled starters. The baba ganoush was deliciously smoky as you would expect, while the fetteh was a meal in itself. We indulged, tearing the flat bread and dipping while discovering the crispy chips were admirable at scooping up the fetteh.

A triumphant and authentic start.

Three perfectly grilled tiger prawns (£14) were up next; sautéed in garlic, with parsley, butter and seasoned with dark burgundy Ufer Biber pepper and sumac. Boiling hot and succulent as hell.

While we enjoyed all of the above, the headline act was still to arrive. Perhaps a fashionably short delay to tease the audience, it triumphantly arrived carried aloft like a trophy. The signature deconstructed shawarma chicken (£52 for two people) from the large plates menu.

It was certainly an entrance; a platter containing six chunks of barbecued chicken fillets stacked high on a skewer topped with a giant chilli pepper, surrounded by the disassembled shawarma accoutrements. A bowl of garlic toum (sauce), coleslaw, bulgur wheat, mixed salad, sumac, pickled red onion, gherkins and lavash wraps to hold it all in (personally I preferred to just use a knife and fork). In other words, it was a right royal feast and well-deserved its signature billing.

All that merited something of a pause while we recovered, and clocking the various colourful Charlotte Street passers-by proved to be an entertaining diversion.

Then, as if on cue, the dessert menu made a subtle appearance. Plenty of choices for lovers of eastern Med sticky treats like chocolate tahini cheesecake (£7) or sticky toffee pudding with medjool dates (£7). However, sensing we were wavering due to a lack of stomach room, assistant manager Justine suggested the mini-Greek doughnuts with honey, crumbled pistachio and walnuts (£8). “Irresistible” she offered, and naturally we accepted.

They were exactly that. Five morsels of heaven. A fitting finale.

Gallio Fitzrovia proved to be an authentic slice of eastern Mediterranean fare. I loved the sharing concept too which makes it perfect for a pre or post theatre snack. It’s also open for breakfast with a completely different menu including shakshuka of course, a weekend 90-minute bottomless brunch menu at £45, and £25 set menu on weekdays.

In other words, Gallio Fitzrovia offers highly affordable and tasty sharing plates throughout the week to suit all kinds of timetables. Great value dining in one of London’s most iconic streets.

All food pictures (C) Andy Mossack

Tell me more about Gallio Fitzrovia in Charlotte Street.

Gallio Fitzrovia, 7 Charlotte Street, London, W1T 1RF.

T: 020 8153 0995 E: hello@gallio.uk

Sunday – Thursday 9:00am – 9.30pm

Friday – Saturday 9:00am – 10.30pm