Meaning ‘butter’ in Italian, Burro is the latest restaurant by chef Conor Gadd. His name may be familiar to connoisseurs of the London Italian food scene, as he is also the co-owner of Trullo, a fixture in Islington for the past 16 years.
Burro, which is located in the intimate Floral Court in Covent Garden, marks Gadd’s first solo venture, one rooted in produce-led cooking and warm hospitality. ‘Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine opening a restaurant in Covent Garden, but as soon as I saw the room, and the courtyard, I knew it was an opportunity I couldn’t miss,’ says Gadd.
The mood: part Irish country house kitchen, part 1950s Italian bistro
Lisa Helmanis of Day Studio, who led the design, tells Wallpaper*: ‘The interiors [of Trullo and Burro] share a simplicity and honesty; they are both designed to age well. Burro is slightly more formal, grander in scale and with a bar featuring leather stools ideal to enjoy a perfectly balanced Martini.’
Nodding to Gadd’s Irish heritage, the interiors have been described as ‘part Irish country house kitchen, part 1950s Italian bistro’. ‘Italian and Irish hospitality have a lot in common, and obviously, Conor is an Irish chef serving Italian food, so I felt it needed to really capture this blend – always a place at the table, always in charge,’ says Helmanis. ‘For me, both [styles of hospitality] feel aspirational but also comfortable and confident. Neither feels the need to perform; they are happy to go in and out of fashion without doubting their relevance.’
The space boasts high ceilings, while walls are coated in faded reds and dusty yellows, inspired by Rome’s sun-speckled streets. A large feature canvas by Irish artist Dan Ferguson, depicting an Italian scene, brings the room together. Even the smaller details feel tactile, from deep red Rosso marble on the bar and curved woodwork to velvet banquettes and crisp white tablecloths.
‘I like a room to feel evolved and layered, never too matchy matchy,’ adds Helmanis. ‘The palette is quite simple, using the faded reds and yellows that are so evocative of Roman piazzas. We were lucky enough to get a rare haul of midcentury chairs from a Czech convent; it's unusual to get so many.’
The food: buttery Italian classics adapted with British produce
Italian cuisine is naturally at the heart of Burro. After perusing the generous wine and cocktail list, rich with negronis, martinis, and spritzes, start with fresh antipasti, which includes favourites from salumi and focaccia to Venetian chicken livers on garlic-coated toast, and the house ‘Burro’ caponata.
As with Trullo, pasta stands front and centre: egg-rich and rolled daily. Hearty and comforting, the ragù main pairs Aylesbury duck and dried porcini. This is cooked for five hours, so the soft duck meat wraps itself smoothly around the tagliatelle. For his tortellini, Gadd drew upon his time spent in Bologna, proposing a lush filling made of pork and salami coupled with mortadella and prosciutto.
Secondi dishes are heavier, built upon the produce of British farmers and fishermen. From Dover sole and caviar to buttery veal and lobster acqua pazza, all classic Italian dishes have undergone a British treatment using local produce. To satisfy the sweet tooth, try the tiramisu doughnuts, or almond cake, followed by a cool glass of Marsala from the Curatolo Arini vineyard in western Sicily.
Helmanis advises not to overlook the sides, recommending the courgette scapece: ‘It captures what Conor does so well,’ she says. ‘Exquisite ingredients are artfully handled, resulting in a side dish to haunt your dreams.’ Overall, the restaurant feels like an energetic and sumptuous treat, while remaining inclusive. As Helmanis puts it: ‘It’s a place to have a really, really great evening.’
Burro is located at 2 Floral Court, Floral Street, London WC2E 9FB, United Kingdom