As the child of an Italian, the love for their food runs in my blood! So, when the blog was offered the chance to review the fantastic Al Dente in Monument, it was an easy yes. From beautiful flavours to friendly staff, Al Dente is now our secret slice of Italian heaven, becoming a stand out spot amongst all others. Find out why here

Good Morning Lovelies, 

Last night, the blog hit the streets of London again to take on the best cuisine of all! Italian! Based in the heart of the city, the blog headed to Al Dente in Monument to experience their menu. It was safe to say that it was belissima! 

Arriving into the warm and welcoming venue, we were greeted by Tony, who was informative, polite and friendly. It felt like we were being wrapped up into the arms of a big Italian family, as the house wine was popped and poured. Quickly taking our orders, we settled on two classics to start. 

Having grown up surrounded by them, as they were my dad’s favourite, the first starter picked, which made me very proud was the arancini selection, including beef ragu and cheese based rice parcels of perfection. For the second starter, we went with the delicious Piadina Romagnola, featuring Prosciutto di Parma that had been cured for 24 months, mozzarella and rocket on gorgeous Italian bread. 

Both starters were delicious and truly awoke the tastebuds. Biting into the cheesy goodness of both, the fillings oozed out in a delightful manner. The beef was tender and juicy within the arancini bites, whilst the salty but just right prosciutto couldn’t have been more perfect in taste. Each dish just built the excitement felt for the main course. 

Picking two pasta dishes, we chose the Paccheri Salsiccia e ‘Nduja, made up of Italian sausage, spicy ‘nduja, tomato sauce and parsley, all on top of freshly made pasta, before also opting for the Rigatoni all’Amatriciana Guanciale. An Italian classic featuring homemade tomato sauce, pecorino cheese and black pepper on a bed of rigatoni pasta. 

Upon the first bite, it was like the gates of heaven had been opened. The food was just perfect, bursting with flavour that was beyond anything you could have imagined. Having heard of the passion the chefs had for each dish, you could tell that their love for it had been placed into each bowl. 

Trying both, we literally couldn’t get over the tastes that each bowl produced on our tongues. We wanted to bottle it up and take it home with us to reproduce again and again. The pork was crispy and flavoursome, which made the huge portions even more rewarding. Everything about the meals just screamed a sun kissed trip to Italy. Honestly, after the mains, we were ready to book up and run away to Rome. 

Desserts were soon offered and it was a hard selection to pick from. Each bowl sounded incredible and the options were real Italian classics. Choosing the same to share, we opted for the mixed berries cheesecake. Sweet but subtle, it was the best dish to enjoy after the rich meaty flavours of the main. 

Light, airy and so beautifully flavoured that we couldn’t decide who had the last bite, we were saved from an argument, when the team ended the meal by bringing out a classic Italian cannoli. Something my dad would have snapped up and eaten all of before we had even got the chance. 

After a fantastic last course, a fond farewell and a beautiful final sip of their gorgeous wine and coffees, the blog headed off into the reality of London weather, as the rain lashed down. Yet, it couldn’t stop the sunshine we felt from the beauty of this Italian gem. Sicily is now calling me home and if we can’t get there then this restaurant is a true Italian beauty that the locals would be proud for us to visit instead!

Joey X