Prosecco from Italy with Venetian Snacks at 2 Veneti restaurant in Central London

 A jolly evening samply Proseccos and Venetian snacks took place at 2 Veneti restaurant. Regular diners at the restaurant who live nearby or eat there on special occasions mingled with specialists in wine and food. I am a Prosecco drinker and was glad of the opportunity to try several Proseccos as well as Venetian snacks.

Left Jano @whiskysky_official on Instagram

I met some interesting people.

Whisky Dinners In Pinner

Jano holds dinners with 5 whiskies, once a month, at a restaurant in Pinner, Middlesex. 

Right Angela Lansbury of Central London Wine Society.

Italian Venetian Food in London

Prosecco At 2 Veneti Restaurant

The restaurant is near the grand buildings of concert halls on Wigmore street, near Wimpole street famous for its doctors. The restaurant is Italian and has indoor and outdoor seating. The owners are friendly and enthusiasts for Italian food. Their speciality is Venetian food, from the region of Venice in North East Italy, hence the name Veneti.

Prosecco Region Of Italy

Prosecco comes from this region. Prosecco, that British favourite, white and sometimes rose, cheaper than Champagne, but with the same excitement of bubbles. I tasted several, and frankly, they were all equally good, and although I like sweet wine, none were too dry, so I would be satisfied with the cheapest. As I often say, I'm a cheap date. 

Sweet or Dry Prosecco?

Extra brut is extra dry. But if you find the terms on the label confusing, when Brut means dry, yet the wine seems neutral, with an acceptable almost sweet finish, just ask the owner, waiter, or sommelier (wine specialist) for their knowledgeable advice. 

Cicchetti - Snacks

A feature of Venetian cuisine, so near the sea and canals, is snacks with fish. The fish most familiar to the British is (alphabetically) anchovy, cod, sardines, tuna.

For five years after my husband was diagnosed with a form of cancer, lymphoma, until he got the all-clear, we devoutly followed the cancer research society recommendations of eating whole grain cereals and bread and avoiding processed foods. 

Cereals and Salamis

Therefore I had got in the habit of not eating white bread, cured cold meats and salamis. I was a bit disconcerted at the snacks on white bread. Apparently the popular snacks are with polenta, which I like, or white bread, open-topped sandwiches, which I would avoid. Breadsticks, and brioche, are white cereals which match white wines, although other breads might sometimes be used.

Cicchetti 

These are snacks, often served on small skewers or toothpicks.

The ones I remember most clearly and fondly were those with cheese, and fish, in one instance both together.

Cheese and Fish Cicchetti

1 Cheese Rissoles with anchovy centre

2 Sardines with sweet and sour onions

Vegetable Options

Having got over the surprising sight of sliced white bread used as the base for a couple of the snacks, we looked for vegetables to fulfil our five a day. 

If you are also following a health diet, the vegetables options to order in a restaurant in London or Venice, for yourself or a group, could start with olives. Then pick cicchetti featuring fish, with (alphabetically) onions, or tomatoes.

They also have dishes which have shellfish as a main or subsidiary ingredient. As I am allergic to shellfish I could not try that.

Buying Prosecco

If you simply wanted an Italian sparkling wine you could look for the word Spumante. That means bigger bubbles. Frizzante, I think of fizzy, means smaller bubbles.

Two big areas for Prosecco are Valdobbiadene and around the town of Asolo.

Useful Websites on 2 Veneti Restaurant, Venetian Food and Prosecco

Websites on The Restaurant 2 Veneti

https://www.2veneti.com/

https://www.2veneti.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/MENU

Websites on Venetian Food

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Cicchetti

Websites on Prosecco

https://wineinternationalassociation.org/prosecco/#:~:text=Most%20Prosecco%2C%20whether%20DOC%20or,wine)%2C%20with%20no%20bubbles.

https://www.thewinesociety.com/discover/explore/regional-guides/prosecco-ultimate-guide/

Updated with websites on July 15 2026

Wolfox Savoy Restaurant In the Strand, London

Prosecco with strawberry slice. Great start. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

I loved the decor.

Outside of Wolfox with outdoor table. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Ground floor of Wolfox Restaurant with indoor tree. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

You have a choice of seating. in the busy downstairs café, watching the world go by, near an attractive artificial tree. 

Upstairs Dining

Or on the mezzanine balcony floor overhead for more relaxed dining.

Indoor mural at Wolfox restaurant. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

The meal included three food items I absolutely loved which made up for those which were so-so. And two great drinks.

Delightful Drinks

Starting with the drinks. The tap water was served in an elegant modern silver coloured jug. The glassware was a delight. The water glasses were wide at the base, unusual, special. 

My Prosecco was good. Best of all it was served with a slice of strawberry on the room which made the drink look special and the drinker feel special. I must have had Prosecco a dozen times at a dozen restaurants. Every time I was disappointed that no effort was made to decorate the glass, although everybody ordering cocktails got something special. Excellent. Full marks. Applause. We all, four of us, were impressed.

Fabulous Food

We went without starters and instead made do with nibbles. We were not keen on the large tough green olives with stones. However - 

1 Nibbles - We loved the fried strings of vegetables.

2 Beef cheek with mashed potato was soft, tasty, wonderful.

 (Other main courses were: a steak, fine for the price. Stuffed Chicken, spirals wrapped in bacon, with a good green salad with a few small red tomatoes, okay. Polenta fingers, so so. Chips, ok. 

3 The cheesecake was excellent, creamy.

4 The sorbet, raspberry, also met with everybody's approval.

After our meal we went downstairs to look around.

The Café Downstairs

The set tea looked gorgeous. So did the pastries sold individually.

Unisex Toilets

The unisex toilets on the ground floor are disconcerting. Ladies and gents through the same door. Inside washbasins, and cubicles and one wider cubicle with a basin for wheelchairs and other disabilities. 

Down the curved staircase at the back of the ground floor is the basement's open plan relaxing private dining area with an oval table, and another area of small tables also used for general restaurant eating in winter.

Who are the owners of Wolfox Savoy?

I was told that a couple of people started a coffee business in Brighton. But only one person is on the information under people which popped up from a page on the website of Companies House. Do I care. Not really. They are not there. If you want the boss to make compliments or complaints, look for the agreeable lady who is managing the restaurant.

Wolfox Coffee

Regarding the coffee, online you can buy capsules and other coffees on line from their website. I could not see how many coffee capsules are in the box.

The London restaurant is your sole opportunity currently, 2026, to find food. Wolfox has an amusing fox face upright hybrid cartoon character on their website. 

The relaxing almost Italic murals are the legacy from them having taken over a restaurant which was previously Japanese.

The word Savoy in the name reflects their surroundings. They are near the Savoy hotel, but management of the two companies is entirely separate. not related at all.

One might think it is wrong to call the place Savoy. But the word savoy means fir tree.

Where Is Wolfox Savoy Restaurant?

Beside the Savoy Hotel, not related, and Simpson's in the Strand,  in good company.

Getting To Wolf Fox Restaurant

From Mill Hill Broadway (not Mill Hill East) we took the overground train, much more comfortable than the underground, from Mill Hill Broadway (flight of 7 steps and 9 steps both sides of the car bus garage parking which you have to cross, towards Blackfriars, but got off at City Thameslink for reduced walking. Then the 126 bus outside the station. After you get off the bus, keep walking in the same direction, passing the Savoy hotel, and Simpson's. A uniformed lady politely explained that the restaurant was nearby beyond. Just after the Paddington Bear musical entrance, so a convenient place to eat before or afterwards. 

Queens Head pub, Pinner, for a funeral tea

If you park behind the Queens Head pub in Pinner, you see the back garden area on your way in.  

Queens Head pub, Pinner, has a large open area at the back

 Photos by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

 

For the funeral tea, we had platters of sandwiches, vegetable spring rolls, sausage rolls. And something with fresh fruit, strawberry tarts.

I drank a Prosecco.

Photo Panels

We had just seen slides of photos of our next door neighbour at the Breakspear crematorium during the service. In addition at the pub, three panels of pictures of our neighbour and her family were set up on shelves around the walls.

Atmosphere & Ambiance

Altogether, a very pleasant event, where the family could cheer up with food and drinks and company in the historic pub.

Parking At The Pub

The fact that we could park for free in the car park behind the pub alongside the back garden was an added bonus. We just had to give our numberplate to the staff behind the bar.
 

Prosecco, Tesco's tipple with a tickle

My favoutie drink with dinner in a restaurant, or home, is Prosecco.A sparkling white wine from Italy. A cheaper alternative to Champagne which I like on special occasions. 

Extra dry is misleading. Marketing which muddles the newcomers consumers. Extra dry is slightly sweet.

I like sweet wines and the extra dry is just right for me. The tipple with the tickle from Tesco. You can also buy in small bottles, one person sizes, which you often get if you order for one person in a restaurant.

 Useful Websites

https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/shop/drinks/wine/prosecco-champagne-and-sparkling-wine

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prosecco

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Barracuda Restaurant, Stanmore, Middx, England - Ground Floor Toilet and Fab Food

Barracuda restaurant, Stanmore. Photo by Angela Lansbury. COPYRIGHT. 

Barracuda is a fish

The menu includes a fish section but also a selection of other meats and pizzas.

 We were looking for a restaurat in north west London which I could visit without using stairs.  We opted for Baracuda in Stanmore. My family had visited it previously and liked it.

We booked a table for five on Saturday night for 7 pm and when we arrived they were busy. 

Parking

Varous options in Stanmore. In the metred area outside.  The Sainsbury's supermarket car park which has different rules upstairs and downstairs in the car park.

A large car park around the corner with signs warning you to read the signs.

Starter

For starters we ordered mushrooms breaded. They came up crispy. You might say gritty. In an attractive bed of green and red salad.

Main Courses

I chose the chicken with mshrooms in white sauce. My old favourite from Italian restaurants. The dish was listed as being with new potatoes. I used to find new potatoes inspiid compared with roast potaties or even chips. But these were perfect.

I loved the soft sweet carrots and ate those first. 

Lastly came the copious amount of flattened chicken wing.

One of my fellow diners had opted for the meat which came with mashed potatoes. UM1 Perfect potatoes.

Finally, desserts. 

I loved my baked New York style cheese cakes. Licky, sticky.

Toilets

The toilets and handicapped tpoilet are on the ground floor. Convenient. Pleasantly decorated with plants.

Service

Service was fast, smiling obliging.

We were given limoncello each, on the house.

Lomito Argentinian Style Steak Restaurant, Northwood

 

Lomito is Spanish for sirloin steak, occasionally a steak sandwich. Who has a steak sandwich? Not usual in England. Only here. That is the whole point. This restaurant is Argentinian style. 

We knew it would be a big meal so we went without a starter, especially as I had already eyed the desserts.

Round Rolls

Up came small warm round rolls with crispy outsides. And oil. If I had known that they served herb butter with the steaks, I would have asked for butter with the bread starter.

Drinks

I drank a glass of Prosecco. Standard fluted glass. 

The two men had glasses of red. The other lady, looking after her sleeping daughter, opted for one apple juice. 

Four styles, cuts, of steak. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

Steak Variety

Steak is one of the dishes this restaurant feaatures. Two of our group ordered the steak for two persons deal, and received four types of steak. We started with the fillet and then tried the other three types. The fillet was definitely different. The other three, well, pretty similar, no preference.  

Spatchcock Chicken

Spatchcock chicken at Lomito restaurant. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

I had the spatchcock chicken. That is split and spread on the plate in an x shape. 

One of our group of four adults opted for the vegetarian pasta, because she has salmon so much at home and in restaurants. 

Pasta at Lomito Restaurant. Photo by Angela Lamsbury.

The flavour was not remarkable and next time she would opt for the salmon.

What about potatoes? The steak dishes come with a choice of potatoes. So I bagged a couple of chips. 

Chips at Lomito restaurant. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

My meal came with salad on the side, a mound of greens with small tomatoes. 

at Lomito restaurant. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright

Plus a tiny, tasty flower.

at Lomito restaurant. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright

Desserts

at Lomito restaurant. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright

I opted for the trio of pannacotta. All creamy. Not what I was expecting. Creamy, with different coloured toppings, a bit like cheesecake or mousse in a glass.

A nice touch was real frit on top. Well presented.

A good choice for sharing between three. Too much for one. I would not order that again. Unless sharing or taking some home.

Tiramisu In A Wafer

at Lomito restaurant. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright

 The tiramisu was unusual. Not the usual sponge biscuits, but a large wafer. for an edible bowl. Definitely different. Not my taste, but the tiramisu fan liked it. 

at Lomito restaurant. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright

Decor

The decor is interesting. Cows or bulls and ethically dressed gaucho figures, the horsemen who are beloved symbols of Argentina and South America - with a guitar, all very jolly and atmospheric.

Seating and Booking

We managed to get the last table, booking on the day. The frontage of the restaurant looks a modest size, with a doorway between two glass windows. Inside there's an open kitchen area on your right, tables on your left, a staircase in the middle down to more tables in a basement, more tables at the side and back, and another room off the back which might suit a large group or birthday party.

Toilets

The toilets were on the ground floor at the back. The handicapped toilet was on the right inside the door to the washbasins shared by the ladies and gents. The handicapped area as usual had its own washbasin which I liked, having manoevred myself inside with my walking frame.

at Lomito restaurant. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright

The fancy gilded double toilet roll holder was a nice glamorous touch. 

We were too full for coffee. 

Take Away & Leftovers

The other couple took home a portion of tiramisu for a late night snack, and because the four year old slept through the entire meal in her push chair, having had an exciting but exhusitng day at Wobrn Safari park (see my previous post.

Regarding my leftovers, not much. Just a tiny amount of salad. The brown box had a slot lid which came apart in my shoulder bag and left a mess, so I would take care to place it in a plastic bag on another occasion.

On a return visit, I would opt to try the sticky toffee pudding instead. (As a dessert a holic, for a fine restaurant, my top choice would be Mill Hill's restaurant with apple strudel, or a take away strudel from B & K in Hatch End.)

But for delightful decor, something different on the menu, great steaks, and smiling service, we were happy with Lomito.

Where Is It?

Northwood is an upmarket area on the Uxbridge Road, in north west London.

Driving west towards Heathrow from Edgware, Hatch End, Pinner, when you reach the main high street you have Northwood station and Waitrose on your left, Lomito at the far end. 

Parking

On Saturday night in August 2025 I was relieved to see that parking ws free in the high street outside the restaurant after 6.30 pm,

Lastly, remind us about Argentina. Don't cry for me Argentina. Its the southern tip and upwards of South America. Second largest south American country after Brazil. 

Useful Websites

https://www.lomitorestaurants.com/

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Birds on bottles of Prosecco from Tiziano Nardi

I learned to spit at the London Wine Fair where I tried 57 bottles of Prosecco. You would be under the table after three or for glasses, or 12 tasting measures, never mind 57.

The old saying goes, it's not what you know but who you know. However, what you know increases with who you know. I didn't know Ash but we got chatting. He pointed out that birds in the glass is a defect in a wine bottle, so he surmised that the manufacturer had intentionally put a pattern of birds on their bottles as a joke.

'PROSECCO is made in tanks,' Ash reminded me, not in bottles, bottled at the end of the process, making it an affordable alternative to Champagne for lovers of white bubbly drinks for celebrations or evening dinners and summer lunches.

Who is knowledgeable Ash? He works at Rathfinny Estate in southern England, south of London, on the outskirts of the historic village of Alfriston, not far from Easbourne if you are a train traveller.

They have a shop and restaurant, one open 10 to 5, the other 10 to 6 but check their website. You might be able to have dinner there if staying at accommodation nearby. Again, check their website for the latest.

Rathfinny Estate

They have a vineyard and sell bottles of wine made on the estate. 

 1 The bottle with birds in the glass.

Holding the bottle is Ash, whose surname is French.

My favourite was award winning silver medal Prosecco, Riva dei Frat, which had a pear aroma, and flavour. From the Wine Society.

Costing  May 21st 2025 was £26 for a magnum, £156 for a case of six. (Magnums? ). Free delivery.

On another website I saw £10.95 a bottle. I shall research this later and update.

Useful websites

www.rathfinnyestate.com

https://www.thewinesociety.com/

Wine society (check their membership details. Buy online, go to paid for wine lunches and events. Huge shop with Enoteca machine,  glassware and seasonal surprises on sale pre Xmas.

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White feather fun at London Wine Fair With Traces Wines

 Two dancers in white ballet dresses giving out white feathers. Inviting everybody to their stand at the London Wine Fair.

Traces.C81 stand at the London Wine Fair.

What is light about their bottle of wine? First of all, the bottle itself. It's lighter, 33% lighter, than most wine bottles.

Traces is a UK brand, based in Manchester, using French wine, selling online.

Traces.com

Sold in Tesco in Ireland.

The prosecco from Italy.

First consumer friendly label telling you the alcohol level and calorie count.per 100ml.

A small glass is 125 ml. Helping you to become lighter.

The can of Hugo Spritz, Hugo meaning elderflower, has 80 calories per can of 250 ml. It will be launched online, and at Beyond the Pale Music festival, 3 days in June, 1th-15th, 2025, in county Wicklow, Eire, about an hour's drive from Dublin. You need to buy tickets. The Festival webside tells you that Traces is one of the sponsors

Useful Websites

traces.com

https://www.facebook.com/BeyondThePaleIE/

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Mill Hill, marvellous Numa restaurant for freshly cooked food, home made

 We had planned to eat in Mill Hill in north west London. My husband checked the online menus of several places and chose Numa because they specifially stated that some of their dishes were home made and my husband wanted that.

 Numa restaurant serves Middle Eastern food. The word numa means 'so what' in Hebrew, according to their website. It is also written as pneuma is Greek for breath, spirit or soul. Perhaps think of it as soul food. Our server was Greek. Numa is also a word in Arabic and Indian and other languages.

Decor

Decor is pleasant and original. 

Attractive features of the decor included an arch over the bar.

On the back wall is an elephant. 

If you want to wash your hands before eating, the ladies' toilet is adorned with imitation greenery.

Food

Olives were placed on the table when we arrived. My Prosecco came up fast.

I had checked the menu in advance by looking at their website.

Starters

Our starters included  potato wedges coated in truffles. I could not see any specks of black truffle. My husband said. 'It must be prepared using truffle salt. That is very common. '

Main Courses

For the main course, my shredded chicken was accompanied by pots of garnish.

The steak was the runaway leader. The most expensive dish for good reason. A thick and soft steak.Accompanied by those lovely potatoes.

We had enough food to have the surplus packed up by the restaurant. 

Useful Websites

https://www.numacafe.co.uk/menus

https://wearenuma.org/home/numa-the-story-of-our-name/#:~:text=The%20ancient%20Greek%20word%20pneuma,soul%20the%20energy%20to%20act.