Norma London Reviewed

Andy Mossack eats at Norma London in fashionable Charlotte Street and discovers there’s more to it than just a famous pasta dish.

If famous Sicilian composer Vincenzo Bellini were alive today, he might well be pretty chuffed that his native country has a pasta dish named after his beloved operatic masterpiece. Better still, I suspect he would be even more delighted to find a notable restaurant also named after it which celebrates the cuisine of his homeland in such an authentic way.

Norma is set across three floors of a charming townhouse in London’s Fitzrovia right in the heart of iconic Charlotte Street, once the home of famous advertising agencies and infamously long indulgent client lunches. As a former advertising mad man myself, I have more than a few of my own fond memories. Having said that, Norma London has its own impressive hospitality dynasty as part of the Stafford Collection. A glittering portfolio which includes the recently opened Gallio opposite, Mayfair’s five-star Stafford London hotel, Michelin-starred chef Michael Caines at The Stafford – his new restaurant residency – and equally luxurious Lympstone Manor in Devon.

Norma’s celebration of Sicilian cuisine with some added Moorish influences has been feeding Fitzrovia’s cognoscenti since 2019 with plenty of tasty Sicilian staples including its aforementioned signature dish rigatoni alla Norma, its own variation on the celebrated Catania pasta dish made with aubergines in a tomato sauce, named in honour of its famous resident composer. The Sicilian word Norma translates as masterpiece, quite a bold moniker to live up to for a restaurant you might say?

However, the launching of Norma London’s new spring/summer menu was the catalyst I needed to take a deeper dive into a venue that has revelled in successfully celebrating old school Italian hospitality for many years. Is it worthy of its own masterpieces? I was certainly keen to find out.

It was a warm night and perfect for pavement terrace dining, and fortunately assistant manager Ish found me just the spot. A perfect perch to people watch Charlotte Street strollers and watch Norma’s serving team do their thing. It could almost be a balmy night in Catania, minus the ancient palazzos of course.

To kick off our Sicilian culinary adventure we had a few aperitivi to nibble on. Padron peppers (£7) always a delight, but these were a surprise: the giant variety, sprinkled with Aleppo pepper and tahini. Delightfully moreish. And then a taste of traditional Palermo street food – chickpea panelle (£11) delicious delicate chickpea fritters with a side bowl of Devon crab ailoi. An added antipasti completed the ensemble, swirls of beetroot-cured salmon (£18) in a fabulous feta and blood orange labneh sauce served up in a marvellous marble bowl.

It was all washed down with an excellent Sicilian Negroni (£14) made with Italian Malfy gin, Campari and marsala; it was the perfect combo and an excellent start.

As we awaited our mains, I was really enjoying checking out the passers-by. A fascinating mix of locals and overseas visitors, still drawn by the Charlotte Street legend. The numerous restaurants lining the street buzzing with business. Clearly the old girl hasn’t lost her charm.

My musings were interrupted by our main courses brought triumphantly to our table by Ish.

I’m unashamedly fond of anything slow-cooked so the slow-cooked beef blade with purple potato mash and salsa verde (£26) was right up my via so to speak. My dining partner on the other hand went for a slightly more indulgent dish: spiced dover sole goujons with saffron burro blanco, pea shoots and salmon roe (£40).

I was surprised to find expensive and delicate dover sole used simply for goujons, but who am I to question a possible ancient Sicilian recipe. It was nevertheless delicious and beautifully presented with the curved boned tail as decoration. The accompanying saffron based dipping sauce and extravagant blobs of roe adding a touch of continental glamour to the dish.

We added a couple of shared sides to round off. Crunchy green Romanesco cauliflower florets in a tangy almond labneh (£8) and some equally crunchy grilled broccoli stems with a salt and lemon dressing (£8).

There were plenty of alternative options on the menu, with many of our fellow diners tucking into heaped bowls of pasta, including the famed rigatoni alla Norma (£22) of course, which did look impressive it has to be said.

By now we had the terrace to ourselves, and Charlotte street was winding down. Nevertheless, in a bid to squeeze a final drop of Sicilian magic to our menu, we shared a Sicilian crema bruciata with fig and ginger, dates and honeycomb (£10). The Sicilian equivalent of a crème Catalena/crème Brûlée. An utterly indulgent bowl of sweet heaven.

Norma London is without a doubt a fine advert for very tasty and affordable authentic Sicilian fare on one of London’s iconic streets. Perhaps Vincenzo Bellini might balk at it being a comparable masterpiece to his famous opera, but I reckon he would be more than satisfied with the fare and I have no doubt his belly would too.

All food images (C) Andy Mossack