Il Matterello

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

A Corner of Italy in Palermo Soho

On the corner of Thames and Gorriti, Il Matterello has carved out a space that feels unmistakably Italian without trying too hard. The name — the rolling pin — says everything about the kitchen's priorities: fresh, handmade pasta is the heart of the menu, and the Gambero Rosso guide took notice, awarding the restaurant one of its coveted forks in 2023.

The Menu: Rooted in Tradition

The antipasti set the tone immediately. Berenjenas en aceite are prepared con receta de la nonna — the grandmother's recipe — and the Antipasto Completo arrives in a generous spread of cured meats, marinated vegetables, and warm gratinados for two or four. Prosciutto di Parma, Mortadela con Pistacchio, Sobresatta, and imported Italian burrata with prosciutto and rocket signal that sourcing is taken seriously.

The handmade pasta section is long and considered. Ravioli come filled with pumpkin, mushroom and spinach, or the classic Genovese mix of beef, pork, chicken and vegetables. Fazzoletti — delicate handkerchief pasta — arrive stuffed with fresh salmon in a cream and zucchini sauce, or alla Carbonara with mozzarella and ham. Pappardelle carry a slow-cooked ragù of beef and pork cut by hand with just a touch of tomato. For those who prefer a simpler plate, tagliolini and tagliatelle are offered with more than a dozen sauce options, from Pesto Genovese to Putanesca with anchovies, capers and black olives.

Risottos — including a saffron Alla Milanese and a striking Nero e Gamberi in squid ink — round out the Italian-Argentine repertoire, alongside grilled salmon with lime butter and caponatina, and cuts of beef like the Tagliata de Bife de Chorizo rested over rocket.

Desserts Worth Staying For

The kitchen closes on a traditional note: house tiramisù, profiteroles filled with sabayon ice cream and bathed in hot chocolate, pears poached in red wine with raspberry sauce and crème anglaise, and a flan casero that needs no introduction in Buenos Aires. The Affogato in Café — vanilla ice cream met with a shot of espresso — is the kind of simple finish that earns repeat visits.

Il Matterello is the kind of place where Italian cooking and Argentine ingredients find a natural rhythm together, without fuss or pretension.