Sotto Cucina & Bar restaurant Whitechapel London: Review

If you visit Hyatt Place in Whitechapel, on the lower floor you’ll find recently opened Sotto Cucina & Bar, a Sicilian bar and restaurant serving contemporary Sicilian fare with British ingredients.

The restaurant opened in May this year and is the creation of executive chef Alfio Laundani, inspired by the flavours of Catania in Sicily where he grew up.

Sotto Cucina & Bar is a Sicilian bar and restaurant serving contemporary Sicilian fare with British ingredients.. (Image: Emily Davison)

The restaurant has three different dining spaces, including a modern and colourful dining space with artwork, a private dining space for events, and an orangery with an outdoor feel whilst still being inside away from the unpredictable British weather.

They also have a good selection of wines, with a lot of Sicilian wines to choose from, including some of the best red wines I’ve ever tried.

They have a lot of Sicilian wines to choose from, including some of the best red wines I’ve ever tried. (Image: Emily Davison)

We first started off with a selection of small plates, or Antipastis, that consisted of olives, anchovies, and focaccia bread served with a lemon-infused olive oil.

We started with a selection of Antipastis, consisting of olives, anchovies, and focaccia bread served with a lemon-infused olive oil. (Image: Emily Davison)

I was also intrigued to try the vegan Arancinetti, a Saffron Arancini with tomato jam and superstraccia, which was delicious and flavourful with a lovely mix of flavours.

The food was served really quickly and everything tasted really fresh.

The vegan Arancinetti, a Saffron Arancini with tomato jam and superstraccia, was delicious and flavourful. (Image: Emily Davison)

For mains I went for a classic pasta dish of Maccheroni with a spiced Sicilian fennel sausage ragout, whilst my friend went for the rolled lamb breast with grilled Grelot onion and sea vegetables in a white wine sauce, with a side of crushed new potatoes topped with olives.

The food was delicious, the Macheroni had so much flavour with the sausage ragout and was really reminiscent of a warm comfort dish you might eat on a rainy day.

The Macheroni had so much flavour with the sausage ragout. (Image: Emily Davison)

Finally onto desserts, my friend went for the Torta Mandorle e Cioccolato, a dark chocolate and almond cake served with chilli jam and whipped mascarpone, whilst I went for a classic Panacotta Al Marsala served with a marsala wine glaze.

I tried both and they were equally as good, the chocolate cake was so rich with a light and fluffy texture and the panacotta was light and creamy with a rich aftertaste from the wine glaze.

The chocolate cake was rich with a light and fluffy texture and the panacotta was light and creamy. (Image: Emily Davison)

They also have a selection of Sicilian-themed cocktails which we of course had to try before leaving.

We tried both the Assolato with bourbon, peach liquor, Amarao Averna and lemon juice, as well as the Vita Tropicale, made with Di Saronna, Koko Kanu, passionfruit juice and pineapple juice, which was my favourite out of the two.

They have a selection of Sicilian-themed cocktails including the Assolato and the Vita Tropicale. (Image: Emily Davison)

This venue would make a great place to visit after work with friends or family, whether you’re looking for a full-on meal or just some drinks and nibbles.

The venue is great for a full-on meal or just some drinks and nibbles. (Image: Emily Davison)

With beautiful interiors, knowledgeable staff and delicious food, it’s definitely one of London’s hidden gems that deserves to be… well… less hidden.