Launching this month, Italian Alley will be dedicated entirely to Italian food, craft beer and culinary craftsmanship.
Five restored railway arches will be filled with five new food offerings, each showcasing Italy’s best flavours and produce. Using authentic cooking techniques, the food will range from charcoal barbecued dishes to ‘polpetta’ (Italian meatballs). Meanwhile, Baladin, an Italian craft brewer, has paired each arch with a special craft beer that complements their food offering.
(They’re also offering this gorgeous candlelit Italian feast, just FYI.)
There’ll be a small amount of seating within each arch, but visitors are encouraged to mix and match dishes from all of the arches to enjoy ‘sharing style.’ With that in mind, there’ll be a large outdoor seating area in front of the arches where diners can recreate a big Italian family feast.
Here’s what to look out for in each arch:
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Brace
Giving the art of BBQ an Italian twist, everything at Brace is prepared in a Josper charcoal oven. There’ll be all sorts of delights, including marinated pork skewers and baked aubergine with garlic and parsley. What it all has in common is a distinct charred and smoky finish. Well worth a try.
2. Focacceria Nazionale
Recreating traditional textures and techiniques, the folk at Focacceria Nazionale mix ingredients by hand and leave it to ferment for three days. The result is a fantastic seasonal menu featuring the likes of fior di latte mozzarella, tomatoes and basil, salami and ricotta, and even some vegan options.
3. Ciambotta (Banquet in a Bun)
A bit like the Barge House’s Breakfast in Bread, Ciambotta’s ‘banquets in a bun’ are bread bowls filled with comforting ingredients such as beautiful veggie caponatas and hearty meat stews.
4. Polpetta
Not just any old meatballs, Polpetta’s creations are made using a range of meats and vegetables – meaning they keep the shape, but the taste is like nothing you’ve tried before. Expect chicken chasseur, fried Baccala and potatoes (Italian Alley’s twist on fish and chips), as well as classic beef meatballs in a tasty tomato sauce.
5. Semola
Semola (which translates to ‘durum wheat’) serves delicious and authentic pastas, all served ‘al dente’, as is the Italian way. Dishes will include taglioni with butter and asparagus, and gnocchi with sausage ragu and lemon zest. Mamma mia!
Beer from Baladin
Each arch will serve a different Baladin craft beer that has been specially chosen to complement the food it serves. An exclusive Italian Alley special, Nazionale (ABV 4.8%) will also be on offer in each arch.
Teo Musso, founder of Baladin, says of the new Italian Alley opening: “Camden Market is known as a melting pot of international cultures and cuisines. What better place to bring our vision to life and express our passion for fusing modern Italian cuisine with traditional artisan techniques, presenting them to an audience of food enthusiasts from across the world.”