Gastronomica Wapping

I had walked past this place a few times as it really doesn’t look much from the outside. I was meeting a friend for a late (ish) night drink and having spent most of the evening with a different friend in Botega Wapping and Victualler, I wanted to try a new place. It was ok — very very Italian. The service is warm, but not very attentive. There were quite a few flies that were a bother, and I would not have been to keen to eat here because of them. I had an Aperol spritz which was lovely and my friend’s beer was great. What I really liked was the selection of groceries around the place. I ended up buying some old favourites — Mulino Bianco biscuits, some grissini and some chocolate.
I might go back to try their Wednesday night apperitivo, which I have heard is excellent.

I’ve been here a lot of times…
It was a normal italian place few years ago, but now it’s perfect as you could expect from a freash and genuine italian place. Server are kind and real italian.
It’s perfect for private dinner or parties (I’ve done one here) and they have a take-​away service too perfect if you are in a rush.
Thumbs up!

So their is very little choice for a bit of lunch in wapping and this place is worth a look.
The food (pasta special) was tasty, but at 6.50 a portion it’s pricey for the amount you get.
It’s a nice place inside I just wish they put a bit more effort into presenting the meals you get.
However great place for getting your key Italian meats and cheeses and its a very relaxe atmosphere.

This place is amazing. A friendly couple run the place serving good sandwiches, snacks, coffee and cakes, and as a plus it has wifi. They also do a great buffet on Friday evenings in summer: two glasses of wine and as much food as you want for ten pounds (they just keep bringing out plates of delicious antipasti!) Another reason to visit Wapping.

Great coffee, good variety of meats and cheeses, excellent value, friendly staff, good for studying
With my last CA exam tomorrow, I’m jittery and looking for a place to relax and get some studying done. Luckily, just down the street is Gastronomica which I’ve heard great things about but never made it there (the strange rule of the closer something is the less likely you are to try it being in effect).
I wandered in and spread myself out (my papers, not literally myself!) on a table for four. I liked the look of the place immediately, very rustic european without any pretentiousness. The waiter/​cook/​barrista guy came over, and within seconds I was munching on a pain au chocolat (the place has a mix of french/​italian/​spanish foods) and sipping a well prepared double espresso. A quick word about the coffee as that’s usually a big selling point for such places. I couldn’t place the bean but the coffee was not too hot as to scald the tongue and hide the flavours, but not so cooled to room temperature as to lose the invigorating effects of a hot drink on a cold day. I enjoyed the bouquet and range of tastes (fruity with a hint of bitter chocolate). The pastry was fresh although I would have preferred a little more chocolate but then again at 9am perhaps it was best that it didn’t.
After an hour of studying, I was in need of more refreshment and was very pleased that the orange juice was freshly squeezed to order.
Overall, love the place for a chill quite study area. The waiter only came over when called and in general left me in peace. I didn’t feel like I had to leave or even share my table despite the relative popularity and small size of the café. I’ll definitely be back, especially as my 2 hour breakfast and study session only cost a fiver!