Casa Tua, which means ‘your home’ in Italian, has been feeding North West Londoners for three years in the Camden restaurant, and more recently in Kings Cross.
Run by Giuseppe, founder of the two restaurants, and his loyal team of family and friends from his native town in Italy, this humble abode is aiming to provide a restaurant, café and somewhere to relax, or as the name states, somewhere to call home.
With a concept slightly different to most restaurants, comfort is at the forefront of Casa Tua.
This is instantly apparent at their Kings Cross location which has a mixture of seating on the first floor, but below provides a comfortable alcove for those looking for a snug set-up.
As we’re eating, we sit in the restaurant section of Casa Tua and perch at a window seat overlooking the church and happenings of the backstreets of Kings Cross.
It’s a beautiful sunny day in October and the perfect setting for a spot of lunch.
Giuseppe talks us through the menu and what’s on offer, detailing the best dishes and the stories behind them.
After hearing about how the octopus dish to share is from an old recipe in Italy where they used to put all the ingredients in a jar and leave by the fire to cook for hours – I was sold.
Though now with modern technology, it’s done in a slow-cooker the result is still the same.
Alongside this recommendation, we opt for the golden-crusted mozzarella with mushrooms and finally the burrata and the parma ham.
Burrata, we’re told, is a less-salty version of mozzarella which is a result of where the cows graze. The further away from the sea, the less salty their produce.
In the style of tapas; our dishes arrive at a similar time meaning we can dive into whichever one takes our fancy.
I instantly tuck into the octopus; it was a welcomed surprise, Octopus isn’t typically a dish that I expect to taste homely, but it did.
It’s the kind of food you’d crave on a winter’s night, and I know for sure I’ll be heading back for this alone when the weather gets even chillier!
We moved onto the golden-crusted mozzarella; it was my least favourite out of the three but still delicious. The creamy sauce tastes incredible with the mozzarella.
The burrata was delicious; I’m a firm lover of parma ham and cheese; the creaminess of the burrata went exceptionally well with the salty parma ham.
The sharing board is more than enough for two people, but we did notice a couple of people having one to themselves as a main for lunch.
In Italian restaurants, it would be rude not to sample their carbonara.
A dish which has had different variations around the world, but nothing quite compares to an original Italian recipe. We’re told that it is made completely original, and “without cream”, to make sure it’s just as it is at home.
The cheese is powerful in the carbonara and it’s delicious. The dish is a lot drier than I am used to which down to not using cream and surprisingly adds to the flavour.
To finish; we enjoy a coffee, the perfect way to end this Italian lunch.
It’s worth noting that Casa Tua isn’t limited to dining if you’re looking for somewhere to work and enjoy a coffee – or perhaps just a catch-up over coffee, Casa Tua cater for whatever you need.
The food is delightful, the prices fair and the service exceptional.
A dining experience which allows you to relax, sit back and just enjoy the true Italian experience – we hope you will enjoy dining there just as much as we did.
A: 176 Royal College St, London NW1 0SP
T: 020 8127 0460
Casa Tua Kings Cross
A: 106 Cromer St, London WC1H 8BZ
T: 020 7833 1483