We were thrilled to be invited to try out the vegan options at the rather super Aldo Zillis restaurant – Cicchetti, 30 Wellington St, London. The service was super, the restaurant is stunning and the prices are reasonable too!Aldo Zilli holding dish
We had a a gorgeous array of vegan options to try including… flat bread bruschetta to start, olives and bread, red cabbage leaves with grilled vegetables, a bruschetta with peppers and a wild mushroom pasta and the super butternut risotto dish – followed by a stunning sorbet.
We shared a lot of food and I even brought home what we couldn’t eat!
Aldo Zilli has long been a fan of vegetarian food having cooked for Paul McCartney and his family for 20 years. He also did all the cooking for Leona Lewis on her tour, both of whom inspired him to write  ‘Fresh & Green’, his book which contains over 100 vegetarian recipes.
Gone are the days of limp lettuce, instead recipes where vegetables are the star of the show take centre stage. Guests can expect to try new dishes such as Nettle ravioli with walnut sauce; Barley sage and broad bean radicchio risotto; Stuffed courgette flowers with beetroot ristto with Peroni jelly or Four ways asparagus and more.
Aldo Zilli, who is a huge supporter of vegetarian and vegan food, combines Italian cuisine with vegetarian ingredients – a “natural marriage”, and something the Cicchetti restaurants have always supported.
Aldo told us;
“Italian restaurants are always a great choice for vegetarians as you can be very adventurous with pasta sauces and risottos, not to mention pizza toppings. Italy is the most popular vegetarian destination after all.”
Cicchetti is part of the San Carlo Group with restaurants based in Piccadilly Circus, Covent Garden and Manchester.
Aldo Zilli:
Aldo Zilli is an award-winning celebrity chef and restaurateur who specialises in Italian and vegetarian cuisine. One of nine children, he was born in the small seaside town of Alba Adriatica in the central Italian region of Abruzzo and first learnt Italian home cooking from his mother in Italy and catering college.
www.aldozilli.com 
Pumpkin risotto close upSan Carlo Cicchetti:
Set in sophisticated yet relaxing interiors using light colours alongside huge expanses of light grey Italian marble, San Carlo Cicchetti reinterprets the delightful Venetian culinary custom of cicchetti – delicious small plate dishes to share or eat alone, enjoyed with a beer or glass of wine.
Locations in Covent Garden, Piccadilly and Manchester
Cicchetti Piccadilly, 215 Piccadilly, London, W1J 9HL
Cicchetti Covent Garden, 30 Wellington St, London, WC2E 7BD
www.sancarlo.co.uk