Tropea
Cardiff’s Cafe Citta have made eating Italian food in the UK a task for me. I always find myself comparing other Italian restaurants to them, and none I have visited are in the same breath.
Sure, there’s a sentimental value there. It’s located in my home countries capital city, I took my girlfriend there on our first date, their staff are wonderful, plus I have nostalgic memories of dining here with close friends in my first years of living in Cardiff, and many thereafter. But above all, the food served up on their plates is, at least in my opinion, exceptional.
The last time I got excited about a venue that could potentially rival Citta was last Christmas, when I managed to get a reservation at Sotto Sotto in Bath. I ended up disappointed, as the food was completely unremarkable, and thus, my trust issues with Italian restaurants was cemented.
Enter stage: Tropea in Harborne.
They opened their doors in 2021 and have already earned a place in both the Michelin & Good Food Guide.
The venue has huge windows which allow plenty of light to stream in, and seating is limited. Tropea, I hear, is one of the hottest tickets in town. I flew to Italy the day after eating here, and got speaking to a girl at Naples airport whilst waiting for a bus together. She lived in Harborne and said she was desperate to try Tropea, but has been fruitless in her quest for a reservation.
A glance at their menu suggests affordable, stylish dishes. An emphasis on small plates and sharing is evident. I love that their pasta dishes are available as half/full portions.
Member of staff, Bav, guides us thorugh the options. He suggests ordering first courses of antipasti, followed by a pasta course, and finishing with a meat/fish. No problem.
Focaccia laced with rosemary & juicy sun dried tomatoes (£4.80) arrived with pots of olive oil & salt.
Creamy burrata sat on a bed of rocket, surrounded by wedges of acidic blood oranges, sweet & crunchy candied walnuts, drizzled with basil oil (£12.50). A dish that was nothing short of sensational with it’s bold, vibrant colours, balances of flavour, and combinations of texture.
I wasn’t going to pass up on those handy half portions of homemade pasta that I aforementioned.
Ravioli full to bursting (but maintaining shape) with ricotta & nutmeg, swimming in a deep green cavolo nero sauce, and topped with crispy leeks (£9) - which reminded me of fried zucchini. The nutmeg was a little too subtle in the ravioli as I couldn’t make it out, but it didn’t matter with the mild & nutty ricotta running through, accompanied by that vigorous Tuscan kale sauce.
Our other pasta dish was ribbons of fettucine in a creamy lemon sauce, dotted with smokey eel - which was reminiscent of a salty pork (£9). The sharp, sour lemon in the sauce and salted eel were a great blend of contrasting flavours.
We dined on one further savoury course: a slightly smokey, sliced duck breast alongside a roasted leek, topped with crispy kale, duck sauce, and cherries.
Beautiful in presentation and well executed.
Ending a meal with something sweet is non negotiable for me. So guess what I chose?
Yep. The crispy cannoli shell filled with sweet ricotta, covered in salted caramel & chocolate chips (£4.50). This was astonishing value & super sweet.
Millie had a healthy helping of affogato (£6).
The food, a 500ml carafe of white wine, and a 10% service charge totalled £98.23.
£50 per head for 8 plates of that quality & a large glass of wine each is certainly more than fair.
Bav, who took care of our table was both brilliant & knowledgeable. So too was Ben, who I believe is one of the owners - he was extremely down to earth, with a great sense of humour, and lovely to converse with.
Ben apologised for their lack of blinds (which are apparently on order), resulting in light shining through the window into my eyes. It’s all good mate. I couldn’t have cared less. I was feeling extremely content - and the bar had been set at dizzying heights ready for my Italian trip the following day. I’d happily end up partially sighted if it meant I could eat that burrata dish again.
Smiles all around afterwards:
I began this piece by discussing my inability to find an Italian restaurant in the UK which could come close to competing with a place I hold so dear to my heart. The food on these plates was in the same league. They’re a different style to Citta. Citta are more simplistic & hearty in their cooking, Tropea felt more elegant & contemporary.
I’m not meaning to compare them though, they are both outstanding restaurants that I would happily eat in week upon week. But it’s testament to Tropea that they’ve made me feel this way.
If you’re planning on stopping through Birmingham, book in with Tropea (if you can nab a table!)