Review: Rottura
Review: Rottura
By Angela Zaher
Every once in a while you have a meal in a restaurant that leaves you feeling elated. Like finding a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow, you feel like a winner and want to tell the world about this amazing place you’ve discovered. That happened to me after I had lunch at Rottura, a family run Italian restaurant and the rainbow’s end was the riverside Brentford Project- part of the redevelopment of this part of Hounslow in West London. Happily, here and now I can tell you all about it.
Twin sisters Emily and Elena are the impressive pair behind this restaurant that’s bright and modern occupying a corner plot of Brentford’s High Street. The bare concrete floor, window lined walls, industrial ducting and simple colour palette of white and bleached wood give it a sleek contemporary feel reflecting the youth and energy of the sisters. However the cooking is steeped in family history and bears the hallmark of their Italian heritage, in particular a chef grandfather. The name Rottura is a mash up of their family name Frattura, and Romano, their maternal grandparents surname.
Elena is the maestro in the kitchen. She’s a professionally trained chef and following an appearance on Masterchef: The Professionals in 2021 where she made it to the quarter finals and was praised for her food, she took the bold move and decided to open her own restaurant. She had a safe and reliable hand to hold in this venture with her sister Emily by her side. Emily looks after the front of house and has all the grace and warmth of an excellent host.
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What makes Rottura so good is the food. As unsurprising as that sounds, it needs to be emphasised. Whatever you order, my guess is that like us, each mouthful will bring bliss to your taste buds. The menu is a roll call of mouth-watering traditional Italian dishes categorised into small plates, pasta and large dishes with the occasional fusion inspired item such as the crispy sushi rice, avocado and spicy sashimi tuna that we started with. The seasons play a pivotal role on the changing menu. We arrived at the start of autumn and the beautiful hues it heralds were reflected in our small plate: prosciutto, butternut squash, burrata and pumpkin seeds.
The pasta dishes are where we really swooned. Fusilli with a hearty slow cooked Genovese ragu (beef and onions), parmesan and new for autumn, maccaronara (handmade long pasta from Campania), anchovy butter and rosemary pangrattato (crispy flavoured breadcrumbs – a “poor man’s Parmesan”). As simple as it is, handmade pasta feels like a privilege to eat. This was certainly the case here. We ended, predictably, with a tiramisu – possibly where all good Italian meals should end – like a prima ballerina, there was majesty and elegance but lightness as if made of air.
The wine list works well, complementing the food and being reasonably priced. Almost exclusively wines from Europe, special mention must go to the Vinho Verde, what a delightful surprise.
The sisters’ passion for cooking and hosting culminate in their fortnightly supper clubs on a Sunday evening to showcase the seasonality of their menus, and special interests of the team – one recent theme was an Indian supper club cooked by one of the chefs who’s Indian and Nonni Know Best. The latter (sells out quickly) is when they bring grandmothers to cook for the evening – watch Vince Vaughn’s “Nonnas” to whet your appetite then come and try it out for real here.
Rottura is already established as a great neighbourhood restaurant serving honest food at decent prices but I think it stands out on the Italian dining scene far beyond Brentford. These sisters are one to watch – catch them in Brentford so that you can say in years to come: “I was there when they opened their first restaurant in Brentford.”
Angela Zaher is a freelance writer and regular contributor, find her on Instagram @angela_zaher.
