da Giulia

Restaurant: da Giulia
Location: Milan, Italy
Address: Piazza Gramsci, Milan, Italy
Rating: 2 out of 10

Eating spaghetti vongole in Italy is always a tense affair. It is after all the dish's ancestral home and should, most of the time, be of a higher standard than elsewhere in the world. Like sports cars, opera and organised crime. Others do it, but somehow you expect the Italians to do it better, and with more flair.


So the pressure is always on. You want it to be the best, for your taste buds, your guest or host and for the restauranteur who has openly declared that his is the best spaghetti vongole in Italy. National pride is at stake. But there lingers in the back of your mind the faint fear that it might not be. If it isn't, then disappointment ensues, followed by embarrassment and the the meal is tainted.


Such was my recent experience in Milan at a restaurant called da Giulia. I outed my mission to find the best spaghetti vongole on Earth and my Italian hosts promised me something special. A "wonderful" little seafood restaurant in Milan's unremarkable Piazza Gramsci.


When the vongole arrived, I was immediately disappointed by the size of the portion. Far too small. But the presentation was good, which often bodes well. It was classically turned out with an oily sheen to the spaghetti, clams of a good size and the right balance of colour on the plate. However, the pasta itself was rather too al dente and the flavours were bland. There wasn't enough juice left over for ritual "mopping up" and the experience was broadly underwhelming. Had it not been for the good wine and company, the evening would have been lost.


Had this been in a restaurant outside of Italy, I might have given a 3 out of 10 rating, but I've dropped it to 2 as when in Italy, pasta must play to a higher standard.


PASS

Lucio

Restaurant: Lucio
Location: London, UK
Address: 257 Fulham Road, London, SW3 6HY
Rating: 7 out of 10

Such is my enthusiasm for vongole when it first arrives that I often neglect to take a photograph until it's been mixed (I will post a separate article on my views around mixing the vongole into the spaghetti vs not mixing it. Another area of debate exists around removing the clams from their shells at the start or as you progress).



Lucio is an excellent Italian restaurant in the heart of London's Chelsea. The menu is often diverse and creative, incorporating seasonal meats and vegetables where possible. However, being a fickle dish, the perfect spaghetti vongole eludes Lucio. I found the spaghetti to be expertly cooked, but the sauce was a little strong. I'm not sure why, but you can see from the photo the reddish hue, no doubt thanks to the tomato which may have given the dish a soupy consistency.

Flavours were definitely prominent, but the clams were just a little overpowered. I would definitely have vongole again at Lucio as I was intrigued by the individuality of their method.

RECOMMEND

2 Amici

Restaurant: 2 Amici

Location: London, UK

Address: 48 Rochester Row, London SW1P 1JU

Rating: 4 out of 10

Satisfactory presentation, but average flavour. The spaghetti was nicely al dente, but the clams and accompanying sauce were lacking in substance. Insufficient juices remaining for mopping up with bread. Unclear what purpose the chives served.

Overall an average effort, but passable for a midweek lunch if you happen to be walking past, but certainly not worth crossing town for.

MEDIOCRE

Ziani

Restaurant: Ziani
Location: London, UK
Address: 45 Radnor Walk, London, SW3 4BP
Date: May, 2010 
Rating: 8 out of 10

Ziani remains one of the best restaurants in London for spaghetti alle vongole. Note that in the above photo I had already mixed the clams into the spaghetti, hence the messy presentation.


The spaghetti is consistently al dente, not too oily and always with just the right hint of chilli. The clams are a good size and take the flavour well (occasionally I find poorly cooked vongole has a bland or metallic flavour that jars against the flavour of the spaghetti and juices -- not so at Ziani).


The size of the portion at Ziani is just right and leaves you wanting more but without being hungry. A good amount of mopping up juice remained in the bowl.


Ziani itself is in a quiet street in Chelsea and hence draws a local (well-heeled) crowd. It is buzzy most lunch and evenings and excellent for parties or simply a deux. It is small though, so call ahead and reserve.


HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Restaurant in Positano, Italy

Restaurant: NA
Location: Positano, Italy
Date: May, 2010
Rating: 4 out of 10

da Vicenzo

Restaurant: da Vincenzo
Location: Positano, Italy
Overall rating: 6 out of 10

A good example of spaghetti alle vongole as sampled in a small restaurant in Positano called da Vincenzo (http://www.davincenzo.it/), in May 2010.

As is typical, linguine was used, although I prefer spaghettini.

I was initially concerned that perhaps too much olive oil had been used, but I needn't have worried. The flavour was rich and full and the pasta well cooked.

As always, the freshness of the clams is critical and being right on the sea, Positano scored highly across the board for quality of clams.

I discovered that in this part of Italy, no chilli peppers are used when making vongole. The absence of chillis does not count against spaghetti vongole in my rating, but it does tend to expose any imperfections in the dish. The bite of chillis can hide a multitide of sins, but I do think it ads a certain something to the dish.

Restaurant da Vincenzo, Positano, Italy, May 2010