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Il Nascondiglio Venetian Private Dining

Address: 311 Xiangyang nan Lu, near Yongjia Lu / 襄阳南路311号，近永嘉路
Tel: 3461 2036 or 131660142 82
Hours: 7:00pm onwards
Price: 100 RMB/person (guinea pig price), 250 RMB/person (regular price)

Last week, B emailed me about a “Venetian private dinner” trial run at a new Italian restaurant, which instantly piqued my interest. I actually had no idea what I was getting myself into, and when we arrived outside the “restaurant”, note the quotation marks, I knew I was in for an adventure. There was no sign, no lights, just an ominous-looking doorway beyond which nothing but darkness ensues. Dare we walk in? Oh, why not.

The entrance

After climbing two flights of stairs in the pitch dark with nothing to guide us other than dim cell phone backlights, we managed to arrive at Il Nascondiglio. The name, “the hideout” in Italian, is really quite appropriate for the hidden venue. Fabrizio and Ting, the chef and hostess, greeted us at the door and ushered us into a cozy old Shanghainese home decorated with antique pieces here and there (a piano from the 1920s? oh my). The eclectic embellishments and an abundance of candles made the dining room inviting and romantic.

Dining room

We soon found out that Fabrizio is not actually a professional chef. This Italian man has a PhD in developmental cognitive psychology and is currently doing his post-doc in London, but his passion for cooking and sharing good food is what fuels this private dining venture. Apparently Fabrizio and Ting have been doing this in London for a while, and decided to continue with the same concept in Shanghai after Ting moved here for work.

Table setting

Interior

The first appetizer, Bruschette Classiche, a classic bruschetta with chunks of sauteed tomatoes on top of crispy baguette, was simple but delicious, as was the second appetizer, Rotolini di Melanzane Ripieni, a slim piece of sauteed aubergine wrapping halved tomato and Italian ham.

Bruschette Classiche and Rotolini di Melanzane Ripieni

Farfalle ai Funghi al Gin, floppy pieces of butterfly pasta intertwined with an abundance of plump and juicy porcini mushrooms, was nicely done as well. A slight hint of gin and generous shavings of fresh sheep cheese made the pasta all the more enticing.

Farfalle ai Funghi al Gin

By this point I knew that this dinner would take hours. Fabrizio was managing the cooking all by himself, and there was a good 20-minute wait in between each dish. We really didn’t mind though, since we were in good company and having a great time sipping on the complimentary Italian wine Ting generously poured for us.

Fabrizio at work, no aprons to cover his suit jacket

The main course, Arrosto di Manzo (roast beef), was served with accompanying sides of Patate in Tecia (pan-fried potatoes with bacon), Peperonata (stewed bell peppers), and Piselli Triestini (typical green peas). Fabrizio explained that he’s been preparing the beef since the morning, first punctuating the meat with holes then stuffing them with garlic, which made the meat a little drier but so much more flavorful. The hearty side dishes were great complements to the beef, my favorite being the green peas cooked with ham (not pictured).

Arrosto di Manzo (roast beef)
With Patate in Tecia (pan-fried potatoes with bacon) and Peperonata (stewed bell peppers)

Peperonata (stewed bell peppers), Arrosto di manzo (roast beef), Patate in tecia (pan-fried potatoes with bacon)

Though Fabrizio originally intended to make a chocolate mousse for dessert, he wasn’t able to find the right ingredients, which was understandable since he’s only been in the city for three weeks and hasn’t found his way around yet. Instead, he made us Palacinche (sweet crepes), with the options of chocolate, marmalade, classic (butter and sugar). I chose the chocolate crepe, which was simply spreaded with Nutella – you really can’t go wrong with that.

Dessert: Palacinche (sweet crepes)
A choice of chocolate, marmalade, or butter and sugar

Dining at Il Nascondiglio is a unique and intimate experience. The old Shanghainese lane house setting and the rustic home-styled cooking made it a lot more like eating at a friend’s home, which seems to be exactly what Fabrizio and Ting are aiming at. Fabrizio is now back in Italy but will return to Shanghai in March. It’ll be interesting to see how this private dining concept, rarely before seen in Shanghai, will develop with the city scene.

Il Nascondiglio