I review Terra Moderna in Belsize Park, London

'an exciting fusion of Italy and New Zealand'

At the end of November, I ate at the newest thing to Belsize Park. Tucked away in the smart upmarket North London borough, Terra Moderna offers an exciting fusion of Italy and New Zealand; owning to its head chef Mirko Pisano and its founder’s Jeffry Young Australian background.

There was a special occasion; we were celebrating my boyfriend’s triumphant graduation result in the best way possible: good food. There was nothing but that. It served up a stylish elegant twist on great Italian food accompanied by a friendly, no fuss service we know and love Italians for.

We had the pick of the tables: a surprise on a Friday night at a central location, maybe it has not gathered a base outside of Belsize Park yet. So, we sat at a corner table with white plush seats and a marble table top lit by candles.

Complimentary focaccia will always go down well. We shared a very sweet good red wine. An Italian and Antipodean collab over a wine list cannot but be excellent. To start, we both chose mushroom croquettes which were deliciously crunchy with a savoury umami flavour.  

I had a fresh lemony and moreish crab linguine served in its own buttery herby sauce. For Luca, rib eye on the bone served with bone marrow butter and triple cooked chips which I am told was very good- the best steak he’s had for a while.

I would skip the slightly soggy unseasoned ‘seasonal greens with lemon oil’ and go for more chips.

To finish us off, the pecan brownie and milk chocolate cream with two spoons. This was tasty but not as good as the mains. The guests who had dined earlier in the evening had eaten all the pistachio and ricotta cassata which sounds up my alley.

We found ourselves the final diners,—finishing the last drop of our bottle of wine, very satisfied with such great food—without pressure to leave the relaxed local atmosphere at Terra Moderna.