One of our favourite meals of 2016 was Foley’s. So when their owners Goodlife Projects opened a new Italian-accented restaurant in the City, we had to check it out.

The restaurant occupies an impressive space minutes away from Old Street Station. Spectacularly designed by Alexander Waterworth Interiors, the scheme is bright and contemporary, with swathes of light wood and seamless design. The music was on point and just loud enough so that you could have a decent conversation but not at the expense of atmosphere. The space is flanked by an open kitchen at one end and the bar at the other.

Without much ado, we dived straight into their pasta and pizza offerings.

Kris opted for the Nduja, Burrata and Tomato (£14). The pizza was thin-crusted and well-proven, nicely blistered around the edges. It was quite spicy with all the lovely oil and gutsy aromas of the n’duja. The blobs of burrata did their best to combat the heat. All in all, a winning combination.

I was torn between the Orecchiette and the Pappardelle (£14) so the lovely maître d’ Edward saved me from the pain of deciding by recommending the Pappardelle (Wild Boar, Taleggio, Port Sauce) straightaway. And boy oh boy was he right! The dish had the perfect balance of carbs, meat and sauce. The lovely ribbons of the pappardelle had a lovely smooth texture and bite to them and complimented the sauce very well. The meat was soft and fell apart under my fork.

To give our carb fest a healthy twist, we ordered a side of the Seasonal Green Salad (£4). It came with some lovely, fresh green tommies and crunchy gem.

We were still debating whether to give dessert a try, given that we were so impressed by Passo’s mains but also overloaded on carbs.

At that very opportune moment, our waiter Filippo cheekily placed the dessert menu in front of us and our eyes caught the Fried Ricotta Ravioli, Nutella Sauce (£6). All determinations to skip dessert were firmly tossed out of the window!

The ravioli turned out to be revelatory. It was quite simple in presentation, but who cares when Nutella is involved! The pastry casing was lightly fried and soft, filled with a creamy and perfumed ricotta. We could detect a slight hint of coconut as well. All in all, a delightful dessert!

I went into Passo without the intention of blogging about it. However, the food was  impressive enough that it inspired me to write and share it with you. Here is an excellent foodie destination between the City and Shoreditch that balances the classiness of one with the edginess of the other.

Location : 80 City Road, London EC1Y 2BJ

More information can be found here.