Reviews of Bombetta

The early reviews of Snaresbrook’s new star restaurant Bombetta are coming in, and they are good.

Fay Maschler, the Evening Standard’s legendary reviewer, seemed very impressed with the place, writing:

[su_quote]The restaurant is the creation of Ben Milne and his wife Joanna Anastasiou Milne, who own The Chef’s Deli, a wholesale supplier of cheeses and salume to the restaurant trade, which occupies part of the premises. Thundering wheels of cheese, dangling sausages, an outside table with a bunch of fresh herbs in a jug, a painted line to mark a “terrace”, an open grill, larky chandeliers and a neon Bombetta sign Tracey Emining from within; all beckon seductively. [/su_quote]

And then in pure restaurant-review-speak, she adds:
[su_quote]Drawing on the two meals tried I would say that pig’s head bruschetta is not to be missed. The covert pieces of meat winnowed out and laid on small squares of grilled bread are fatty enough, salty and sassy enough to put appetite on alert ready for, say, lamb with deer mocetta (venison ham), scamorza (sheep’s-milk curd cheese) and peppers threaded onto the flat sword-like skewers. Small but potent, the meaty bombs oozing cheese come with a pile of salad leaves. The pork of my imagining accompanied by scamorza, ’nduja and basil wrapped in pancetta is also good but less particular.   [/su_quote]


There was a favourable review too in Methods Unsound by Wanstead local Toni Ratcliff, which gives this useful bit of background:

[su_quote]Bombetta London’s menu draws inspiration from the Italian farming communities of Puglia where villagers would gather together at the butcher’s shop to eat pieces of meat that had been rolled up with cheese and cured meats, and then roasted over a fire. These meaty treats are called Bombetta, and this idea of communal sharing of simple dishes and delicious meat on sticks is what Bombetta London have now brought to Wanstead. I don’t know about you but that sounds pretty good, huh?
[/su_quote]

She adds:
[su_quote]
Bombetta London, as its namesake implies, mostly caters for carnivores. If you are of the vegetarian persuasion then this may not be the place for you. BUT if you enjoy eating delicious meat with a twist, in a laid-back, tapas-y, sharing-plate style with added tasty sides then you should get your butt down there. The interior was inviting, the vibe was relaxed and the staff were all super lovely and really knowledgeable on the menu (which is handy considering that a lot of it was in Italian and did require some Googling), and most of all the food was really good. We will definitely be back for seconds, and not only because it is just at the end of our road.
[/su_quote]


Wansteadium’s food blogger Suki Orange says: “Everything the Bombetta team have done here shows real class. The style and atmosphere of the restaurant have made a silk purse out of what could have been a sow’s ear of a bit of land. The staff balance informal friendliness with knowledge of what they are doing, and the creativity of the menu shows real flair. Delightful too to see they are sourcing some products from other Wanstead traders such as our fishmonger Wanstead Fish. Visit here are going to be a real treat, though class like this does not come cheaply.”

* Bombetta is one of the restaurants taking part in the Wanstead Fringe Restaurant Week, where discounts will be available to anyone producing a copy of the Wanstead Fringe programme. Watch this space for more details.

17 thoughts on “Reviews of Bombetta”

  1. Food OK and just about makes the 3 out of 5 stars given by the standard. Expensive for puglia farmer food off cuts and felt I was paying for the decor. Nobody Italian working there either??? Prefer the Italian brothers place down the road.

    1. Hi Saul. We were very happy with our three stars from the much celebrated Fay Maschler in the Standard. She isn’t a lady who hands out stars easily, so we were chuffed! Thank you for coming. We have had lots of great comments about the food, and it is sourced from amazing places, so sorry you only thought it was ok. Also, we have four people from Italian heritage who work there, another who works next door in our deli, and another starting next week. We also pride ourselves on being a diverse work place. Hopefully there was enough there to persuade you to come again!

  5. Popped in for lunch.

    Very cold draft beer memorable.

    Bean purée thing lovely, burata plate lovely, little dough parcels containing cheese and sauce lovely, variety of grilled meats/cheese/herbs in ham lovely.

    Great decor and ambiance; charismatic staff. The odd dippy service moment but I’m sure that will pass.

    Would definitely return.

  7. We enjoyed a wonderful lunch just 4 days after the restaurant opened. So much so we told neighbours they really should try it. So my neighbour drove there on a mid week lunch time to book a table for 4 that Saturday evening. He is 75 years old.

    When he asked to make the booking the Italian female waitress told him it wasn’t possible to take direct bookings and he would need to book over the internet. So he left and booked another local favourite instead.

    I was disappointed to hear this because I had booked by calling in. Because also, what business would turn away a potential booking for 4 people and ask them to go and book online and thirdly because one cant assume all 75 year olds have access to the internet.

    This experience was in sharp contrast to the very pleasant welcome we received.

    So I had a look at Tripadvisor and there does seem to be a recurring theme.

    Its a lovely addition to Wanstead so I hope matters get sorted out.

    1. Hi Sharon. We are very happy you enjoyed our food and restaurant. With regards your neighbour, we have had some teething problems with the booking system and our staff are also still finding their feet. It’s all a work in progress and we are trying our best to make it as good for everyone as possible – we’ll get there I promise. Most of the reviews on trip advisor have been 5 stars, and the two slightly negative ones have been addressed in the comment underneath. We are striving for 100% and plan to get there. Apologies to your neighbour, if he was to pop by again we would welcome him. Alternatively you could email me at james@bombettalondon.com with his details and we could contact him. Have a lovely weekend and hope to see him and you soon.

  9. We enjoyed a lovely lunch last weekend. The staff were very accommodating despite our showing up without a reservation and with two children under the age of three in tow. The high quality of the produce is evident. The only niggle: the panna cotta was missing some jiggle. We are very pleased to have such a fine restaurant in Wanstead and we are looking forward to going again (next time without the kids!).

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