At the southern end of Bermondsey Street sits Baccalà, a small independent seafood and wine restaurant run by two couples who share Turkish and Italian heritage – and a passion for fresh food, wine, and warm, hands-on service.
Baccalà opened in 2019 as the passion project of two Italian-Turkish couples, Ilanit and Fabio and Elif and Moreno. They are truly a dream team, with each individual bringing their own unique skill set and experience to the table.
Specialising in fresh seafood and Italian wines, Baccalà champions the independent spirit of Bermondsey Street by choosing quality local suppliers for their fish and vegetables, and authentic small Italian producers for their wine and olive oil.
Every detail is considered at Baccalà. The menu changes with the seasons, the wine list is curated bottle by bottle and even the olive oil shipments are timed to arrive straight after the harvest, ensuring the freshest, fruitiest flavours.
During the day, Baccalà is a bright and welcoming space for coffee or lunch and by evening, it is transformed into a low-lit oasis, loved for its fresh food and individualised service.
The food and menu is led by chef Moreno Polverini, who has just finished working on the new seasonal menu. While customer favourites like the tuna tartare remain, he makes mindful adjustments throughout the year to reflect what’s fresh and in season.
Gnocchetti Vongole with clams and borlotti beans
Moreno’s culinary journey has taken him from the Four Seasons Hotel in Istanbul to the close-knit community culture on Bermondsey Street. The blend of his international experience and neighbourhood understanding is felt throughout the menu.
Their staple dish and namesake is Baccalà, a fried salted cod. Moreno has swapped out the vegetables to highlight Romanesco broccoli and used mandarin for the dressing, as both have just come into season.
He said: “The quality of the food is very important to us and there’s nothing coming from the other side of the world. That’s the advantage of being in London – there’s great suppliers and producers on our doorstep.”
They offer a wide selection of fresh pasta and rice dishes, like the Chitarrine allo Scoglio (a rich shellfish casserole), pumpkin Risotto al Salto with mushrooms and truffle, and their standout Mezze Maniche Baccalà with salted cod and bottarga.
Other courses include fresh seafood dishes such as grilled prawns and calamari with marinated courgette, or monkfish cooked with wild fennel and served with broad beans.
On the hospitality side, Elif Taner Polverini runs the front of house, handling everything from bookings to service with the same warmth she brings to the dining room. She’s been in the restaurant business since she was 16, and opening her own space had always been her dream.
The sommelier is Fabio De Nicola, who is fascinated by the world of wine and sharing his knowledge. Fabio began his career as a waiter in Italy, but feeling he “needed to discover the world”, moved to New York to learn more about wine.
Sommelier Fabio De Nicola
Here, he met his wife Ilanit Ovadya, a designer who’s responsible for the sleek interior of Baccalà and perfects the marketing operations.
With Ilanit driving the design, the team built the space from scratch using raw materials. They put in a kitchen, bar, and two floors of seating to welcome walk-ins upstairs and private events downstairs.
The two couples met in Istanbul and the group began enjoying their days off together and exploring the idea of working with fish and moving to London to open Baccalà.
All four of them moved to the same court in Rotherhithe. Elif looks fondly upon their set up: “We all work together at Baccalà and had kids at similar times, we have become a big family – Ilanit and I even do pilates together!”
Baccalà are well-known for their expertise in Italian wine and Fabio is truly passionate. They have around 100 wines on offer, ready to pair with your dish.
Sommelier Fabio and chef Moreno often take trips to central Italy together and just returned from Perugia in Umbria, where they went to a biodynamic winery and olive oil producer.
Left: Fabio, Right: Moreno
Fabio said: “We are always looking for independent, artisanal Italian farmers who put effort into their wine. A lot of Italian wine is not well-known outside of Italy so we wanted to bring it to London, to share the passion and let customers discover new types of wine.
“My favourite part about it is sharing knowledge. Due to our experience working with suppliers, we know how hard wine is to produce, so I love sharing the history behind the wine and the producer.”
They run daily wine tastings, with no need to book in advance. Customers can create their own selection of four wines to have with their food, whilst a sommelier guides them through the different notes.
Baccalà also run extra virgin olive oil tastings. For £18 you can try five different olive oils, with Fabio or Moreno explaining the different notes and smells, alongside fresh bread and apples to refresh the tastebuds.
Back in 2019, the team were hit with lockdown just weeks after opening, but have maintained a loyal customer base and solidified their position as a staple on Bermondsey Street.
Fabio said: “We’ve noticed that people who live in the Bermondsey community are really part of it and they are constantly supportive when we need it. We were new back in 2019, but the community supported us a lot.”
The passion of the couples are bolstered by the help of a loyal team of waiting staff and trainee sommeliers. Ilanit said: “Some people come with zero experience and we sponsor their wine education courses.
“Teaching someone about Italian wine is much harder than you may think. There’s twenty regions in Italy and each region has a different variety of grape. There’s also vegetables in Italy that don’t exist anywhere else, like Cavolo Nero kale.”
Baccalà is certainly tailored towards the overall experience of dining, from the smile of the staff, the thoughtful recommendations of wines and the top-tier food and drink knowledge.
As Fabio puts it: “Baccalà is not just about eating and drinking, we want customers to leave with new knowledge.”
Opening times:
Tuesday – Saturday
Lunch 12 – 17:00, Dinner 18:00 – 21:00
194 – 204 Bermondsey Street, SE1 3TQ
https://www.baccalalondon.co.uk
Dining and Cooking