TOM JACKSON, PAUL WINCH-FURNISS
The Times Magazine 67this restaurant? I’m so sorry. You must have
thought I’d gone mad. It’s Russell Norman, the
Polpo guy. The man who opened a “typical
Venetian bacaro” in Soho in September 2009
and did away with reservations altogether,
so that you had to stand outside it for half an
hour in the rain before eating, and so changed
the world. Albeit temporarily.
Looking back at my review, dated
November 7 of that year, I see that I called
up to ask why I could not book a table and
was told, “We decided that we’ve done our bit,
opening a restaurant that people like. And we
just want to say to people, ‘We’re here, come
if you like, and we’ll get you seated as soon as
we can.’ ”
I was furious. “The trouble with the
‘no-booking’ thing,” I fumed, “is that it asksEating out
Giles Coren
Trattoria Brutto
rattoria Brutto is an extraordinary
restaurant. Unique. World-changing.
I mean, get this: you can call Trattoria
Brutto on the telephone and book a
table for the time you want to eat, and
they will hold that table for you until
you get there and then let you sit at
it. It’s insane. And you can even book
online. You can choose the date and time that
is most convenient for you and simply click
on it, and then show up and they will feed
you! It is decade-defining. It is epochal.
Oh, hang on. Did I not mention who owns‘I went to Florence once.
Sure, the Duomo is nice,
but I didn’t eat well. I know
everyone loves Italy, but
I’ve never got on with it’