Review: Rovi, Fitzrovia

Beef and offal kofta is a lovely meaty sausage with that slight iron-y tang from whatever bits and bobs have gone into it. Beautifully grilled. On the menu it’s described as “beef and offal kofta, smashed cucumber” which is a hilarious piece of the menu writer’s art. You can just imagine the chef vigorously taking a meat tenderised to a long green cucumber. But no, alas, it’s just diced cucumber stirred up with a blob of yogurt and ground spices. We’re at Rovi, Ottolenghi’s new place in Fitzrovia.

Maureen’s snack is more lavish and equally delicious; lobster crumpet coated in sesame seeds with a really tangy Asian-flavoured kumquat and chilli dipping liquor. Very imaginative, and that’s the sense I get at Rovi: that they’re determined to play and experiment, refusing to do straight-up eastern Mediterranean cooking without changing it up a gear.

Sometimes this works out very inspiring. Tempura stems and leaves are just spot on; lightly battered forage sprinkled with enough pepper and salt to make the herbal flavours of the leaves sing out, and will a dipping liquor that had a highly fragrant flavour of watermelon.

The hogget ribs I cannot quite love. The wonderful flavour of mature hogget is packed in strongly, but the ribs have been roasted down to such a black intensity that it’s kinda hard work getting through them, and the pomegranate molasses don’t provide enough moisture to make up the balance. Pity. Grilled cucumber with an earthy/fragrant peanut sambal is much better, as is the celeriac shwarma with a fermented chilli and tomato sauce. The celeriac pieces still have some bite, the fermented tomato sauce is absolutely brilliant.

I think £38 each would be right for food, before drinks. On the one hand, I applaud the brave combinations and the imagination here. On the other hand, the results aren’t as balanced, precise and memorable as I’d hope at that price. I’m not expecting Rovi to be a regular destination.