A Home From Home At Casa Dino

Anne Flaherty reviews the new Devonshire Road restaurant

When Quantus closed after so many years in Devonshire Road, many locals were sad to see yet another independent neighbourhood restaurant close.

Fear not, Casa Dino has arrived to take its place. The food is classic Italian, freshly cooked on site, and more importantly, doesn't disappoint. They say they aim to bring Italian fine dining to Chiswick and they aim to become a fixture in the neighbourhood.

The decor is contemporary, white walls, one long mirrored wall to give an impression of space, exposed brick, wooden floors and tables and comfortable red velvet seats. The line of tables for two can be pushed together for a larger crowd. The well-stocked bar remains on the left of the room, and the ambiance is sophisticated, with subtle lighting, and mellow music playing. The restaurant can accommodate about forty covers.

We were welcomed by the very attentive staff on what was a wet and windy night and whisked to a corner table which was private but had a good vantage point of the rest of the room. A bellini and a glass of prosecco were offered to settle us in while we had a good look at the menu.

Starters ranged from Foie Gras Terrine, (£16) to Burrata, (£14) Fried Calamari, ( £15) with arrabiata sauce and Scallops, a chef's special, at £18. There was also an Italian board sharing platter of prosciutto, salami, aranchini and melon, for £19.

I chose the Burrata, a plump dome of silky smooth mozzerella style cheese, atop sliced piccolino tomatoes and crisp spears of asparagus. It was light, easy on the palate, and refreshing. To cut through the richness I drank a glass of Pinot Grigio. My dining companion opted for the Scallops, and he got a great offering. Seared dollops of sweetness came on top of pureed sweet potato, with little sticks of chorizo alongside. As everyone knows chorizo and scallops are a marriage made in heaven, and my fork bullied its way towards his plate for a taste.

For my main course I hovered between red meat and fish. There was an attractive sounding seabass on the menu but I demurred because I did not fancy it served with Quinoa. Another fish dish was cod with lentils - I saw somebody try this, and they looked heartily pleased with it.

However I decided to go for red meat and you can't get more carniverous than Beef Tagliata (£25). This is a Northern Italian dish of a thick sirloin steak, grilled then carved into thin slices and served on a bed of mixed greens. The large slab was served pink, sliced on a bed of sundried tomato puree, and scattered with a handful of rocket, a generous sprinkle of lemon cutting through the greens, and a sprinkling of pecorino cheese. It was just what the doctor ordered, and I tucked in with gusto as the rain spilled down the windows outside.

Other meat dishes were Lamb Cutlets with red wine sauce, or chicken breast or Veal Ossobuco served with truffle mash.

My companion opted for the Ragu Tagliatelle ( above). So many places serve this as a spaghetti bolognaise with minced beef. Not at Casa Dino - the pasta came surrounded by tender chunks of beef, which melted in the mouth- and the pasta was home made on the premises. This was keenly priced at £16 and the pasta mains ranged from £14 for Gnocchi, to Spaghetti with Prawns at £18. Tonarelli with caccio & peppe, was £13.

The staff recommended a glass of Chateau Haut Pezat, a full bodied red from the St Emilion area. It is the most expensive of their red wines by the glass, at £14 but was ideal for the red meat, complex and, with a mellow aftertaste. To our surprise it also greatly complemented the Ragu though we might not have chosen a French red for an Italian pasta dish unless advised.

We also sampled their most popular red wine, the Montepulchiano D'Abbruzio, which is a great pairing with pasta, but overall I felt the French wine was outstanding with my beef.

There are fish main courses, such as Roasted Prawns with Umbrian lentils, or Fillet of Seabass on a bed of quinoa with zucchii ad Sicilian lemon dressig. Those were priced at £25 and £21.

There was little space left for dessert but having been told that the chef, who is Sicilian, prides himself on his home made puddings, it seemed rude not to partake. The tiramisu was delicate layers of sponge, with marscapone and chocolate, and there was a delicious semifreddo with chunks of hazelnut.

Throughout the evening, the staff were unobtrustive but attentive. The music was at a volume low enough to have a civilised conversation- one of my pet hates is a noisy atmosphere where you have to strain to hear your companion. The ambiance was relaxing, and the other diners who had arrived throughout the evening seemed contented and enjoying their food.

Casa Dino is offering a Prix Fixe lunch menu at £18 a head for starter and main plus side dish.

The menu includes a choice of starter from Foie Gras terrine, Burrata, and Fried Calamari, with mains of Spaghetti Aglio Olio & Prawns, Corn Fed Chicken Breast with herbs, or Tagliagelle with Hand Cut Beef Ragu. Side dishes are green beans or chips.

If I have any word of caution for Casa Dino it is that I fear that diners will feel the Starters are priced on the high side. The main courses are, however, fairly competitively priced. Wine starts at just under £30 for a bottle of red, (cheapest is Primitivo IGT Puglia Organic at £26), white ( A Sicilian Chardonnay at £25, a Pinot Grigio at £30), or Rose (£27)

I would love to see the restaurant survive and thrive in our chain-dominated High Road, and it will be interesting to see if they can tempt local diners with creative offers, particularly for lunch. They are offerig One Bellini per guest complimetary until November 30th.

I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to Casa Dino. The food was carefully cooked and beautifully presented. The staff were very pleasant. The ambiance was mellow and relaxing. I think it will be a welcome addition to the Devonshire Road area and Chiswick needs more of these neighbourhood restaurants.

Anne Flaherty

November 12, 2018