Review: Vapiano
Vapiano – volare!
What a refreshing experience it was to visit Vapiano. A terrific evening made all the more enjoyable by fantastic food and wine – and on top of that tremendous value too. But don’t get us wrong – there is nothing “budget” about the food; in fact it is truly delicious – and that really is praise from someone who wouldn’t put “Italian” at the top of his list when the inevitable “where do you fancy going for dinner” question comes up.
First of all; the restaurant toward the Shaftsbury Avenue end of Wardour Street has a lovely atmosphere. Airy and spacious and decorated in a contemporary, stylish and contextual way without ever feeling like it was trying too hard. Everywhere was lifted by the abundant and clever use of herbs in pots (we’ll come back to those) to decorate the wooden tables and the surroundings. The place was also popular with families socialising in a very Italian manner – obviously a hit for families with teenagers – allowing freedom of choice and taste. The place was plenty big enough to offer a good mix of table choices from high tables with stools, dining tables with benches and more casual soft seating around low round tables. You pick the mode that suits you and relax – no hint of stuffiness in the slightest.
We were a bit worried about how the self service might work and whether we would be watching each other eat; or having to eat separately while the other was waiting for their meal but there are plenty of chefs to allow them to take their time yet still turnover a steady flow of customers. They help the pace by having all the ingredients pre-prepared; but that is no bad thing as these are all visible, all ludicrously fresh and the whole place immaculately clean. It made the process of getting your dinner a bit of an event, especially as everyone we spoke to was so pleasant – the starters were very quick and you don’t need to worry about serving size; they are very generous, so you can wolf it down and are happy to take your time getting your main course.
What is clear though is that everything is done in house, even where pre-prepared. They even make their own bread. From flour (plus the other bits obviously) to make a wonderful change from the factory made dough or par-bakes that seem ubiquitous now. Of course the preparation goes at it’s own pace; pizzas taking longer than pasta but it’s manageable, and a remote pager system means you don’t have to loiter around waiting.
Incidentally even though the restaurant is effectively self service, there was no problem getting hold of staff for help or drinks or whatever was needed – and they all seemed keen and knowledgeable and refreshingly happy and non stroppy. The chefs provided enthusiastic suggestions for the perfect meal (from which type of pasta shape) and diligently checked if we wanted chilli or garlic or cheese. London seems to have taken over from Paris in the surly waiting staff stakes recently but there was not a sign of that here – even more surprising given that service was not automatically added to the bill (a personal bugbear – I’ll decide when I tip, not face the wrath of the maitre d’ when I don’t) and when done at the counter it’s deservingly shared by all the staff.
The menu was well judged – choice without bafflement and took care of all the important basic elements – proper thin crusty pizza, beautiful al-dente pasta, fresh produce, delicate desserts. Remember all of this; all of it; is done in house. The pasta was truly perfect – comforting, soft, warm, slippery but at the same time with some resistance to the bite and with body to its structure. It really sticks in the memory and is calling me back. Interestingly very little seasoning was used at all in the cooking; but at the tables there was a nice array to choose from (including brilliant balsamic vinegar and chilli infused olive oil amongst others), and if you wanted herbs you just pulled them off the plants! Genius!
The effort to prepare everything on site and from fresh gave the pallet a lovely treat. We were assured the ham (from their own importers) was sliced that morning to ensure it wasn’t dry. The antipasti dish that gave a little bit of everything was divine; and the Carpaccio of beef textured, but melt in the mouth. With a very tasty bruschetta (seriously – it was almost as though I had never tasted tomato before – sublimely fresh and tasty), light mozzarella, spicy salami and succulent ham.
The self service card system may seem a little odd but works well and serves many purposes. Groups can dine out without having the awkward bill splitting moments, corporate diners can collect everyone’s cards for a single bill night out, or a bottle of wine could be the shout of one generous member of a group for example.
And the wine list was great – we had a perfect 2012 Multipulcianno D’Abruzzo that was well beyond its £15 price from the cheaper end of the wine list that extended at most to around £30.
The prices were very, very reasonable – all pizzas under £10 and the portions generous… given the quality of the food we found them to be exceptional value. We had dinner at another Italian just a week ago (that shall remain nameless) that produced adequate meals for at least twice the price – Vapiano really is that exceptional. We’re not light eaters and pushed the boat out a bit; but agreed that a couple could easily enjoy an affordable meal out by sharing some of the dishes and still be satisfied. We ended up taking most of the pizza home – which was welcomed and we saw other diners do the same without shame!
The pastries were divine (yes, home-made), especially the hazelnut with a chewy centred macaroon texture. The Tiramisu had a delicately flavoured cream with the Amaretti flavour coming through but I was missing the coffee flavour and felt it needed a thicker layer of coffee soaked biscuit. This was accompanied by the really, really good Illy coffee on offer (is there any other good coffee compared to Illy?), including decaf.
It comes to something when the only slight criticism is the sound system – I think they had a good playlist but being plagued by the universal curse of Bose it couldn’t properly be heard. It was at just the right volume but the all bass, all top, no middle characteristics of that system wherever it’s installed is a shame.
So we highly recommend Vapiano – don’t be put off by the concept, it really worked when we were there. The place was half full but there was only about half the stations manned and rarely more than one person waiting for food at any one station – there is no reason it wouldn’t still work perfectly well when busier. There are a multitude of places to choose to eat in the locale of Vapiano, but we were really surprised; a stand out restaurant, stand out staff in all areas, stand out value and most importantly of course; stand out food.
Bellisimo.
• Food (menu) 5/5
• Taste 5/5
• Drinks 5/5
• Affordability 5/5
• Atmosphere 4/5
• Service 5/5
Overall experience 5/5
Reporter: Roberta
