An unadorned celebration of beef. The 800g T-bone is cooked rare to medium-rare over charcoal, then finished with olive oil, sea salt, and lemon. Reviewers call it fantastic — the meat is yielding, the fat renders, the char adds smokiness. It's meant for sharing or for hearty appetites. This is the kind of dish where the source of the meat and the heat of the grill are everything.
Tips from diners
Ask the server how it's cooked — at Brutto they'll do it rare to medium-rare depending on your preference. It's large enough to share between two hungry people.
Simple grilled sausages with fennel seed providing anise notes. They're finished with lemon and good olive oil. This is a starter or a light main, depending on your appetite. The fennel is restrained — it flavours the meat without overwhelming it. It's the kind of dish that seems basic until you taste how much care went into the sausage-making. Part of Brutto's philosophy: respect the ingredient.
Tips from diners
The pork and fennel sausages are grilled simply with lemon and olive oil. The restrained fennel flavoring shows the care in house-made sausages.
Maltagliati means 'badly cut' — it's the oddly-shaped pasta scraps, which actually provide better surface area for sauce. The oxtail ragù is deep and savoury, cooked low and slow until the meat dissolves. This is rustic, unglamorous, working-class Tuscan cooking — the kind of dish made from cheap cuts that taste better than expensive ones because of time. One of the most underrated pastas on the menu.
Tips from diners
The maltagliati with oxtail ragù is part of Brutto's exemplary pasta selection. The hand-torn shapes catch more of the slow-cooked sauce.
Fresh tagliatelle dressed in a ragu made from braised rabbit — delicate and sweet, nothing gamey. The lemon zest cuts the richness and adds an unexpected brightness. The pasta texture is silky, the ragu coats every strand. This demonstrates Brutto's take on Tuscan tradition: respecting the ingredient (rabbit over heavier meats), balancing richness with acid. It's exemplary pasta.
Tips from diners
Multiple reviewers highly recommend the rabbit and lemon pappardelle. The al dente ribbons and rich, sticky ragu make it a standout.
A fall-apart stew that demonstrates the power of patient cooking. The beef shin braises until it's almost yielding, suspended in a broth built on stock and plenty of black pepper. It's comfort food with backbone. The pepper is assertive — not subtle. This is the kind of dish that makes you want crusty bread to soak up the broth. Simple, unfussy, exactly what it claims to be.
Tips from diners
The peposo (beef shin stew) is punchy and fall-apart tender. Served with potatoes, it's perfect comfort food — bring crusty bread to soak up the broth.
Founded by the late Russell Norman of Polpo, Brutto is unapologetically rustic — red-and-white gingham, vintage Italian wall art, rotating ceiling fans, typewritten menus in Italian and English. Tuscan classics dominate: pork and fennel sausages, rabbit ragu, oxtail ragu, beef shin stew, and the T-bone. Michelin Bib Gourmand. The bar is lively and dogs are welcome. Monique Sierra now runs it with the same spirited warmth.
Book two weeks in advance when the booking window opens online — tables fill fast. The restaurant requires a £25 per-person cancellation fee if you cancel with less than 24 hours notice. No email or DM bookings.
If you can't book, call the restaurant on the day — they may have held-back tables or know about cancellations. Last tables through the door are at 9:45pm.
£5 Negronis and Spritzes at the bar. The New York-style bar is lively and worth sitting at solo or while you wait for your table. It's genuinely social.
If you prefer a calmer vibe, book midweek lunch (Tue-Sat) rather than Friday-Saturday dinner. Service is loud, music is loud, tables are close. That's the charm, but it's not for everyone.
Dogs are welcome inside — Brutto is unapologetically pet-friendly. The gingham and vintage décor make it feel like a Florentine osteria your dog could also visit.
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