Here's what you can expect at this month's Six by Nico menu as it showcases Sicily

Chef Nico Simone is transporting us on a much needed holiday with our tastebuds with this month’s menu
Six by Nico EdinburghSix by Nico Edinburgh
Six by Nico Edinburgh

The summer holiday you expected might not have happened this year, but Six by Nico is bringing a little slice of Italy to the Capital this month.

The Hanover Street eatery is normally wall-to-wall with diners but social distancing didn’t take away from this restaurant experience. With a focus on using local produce to create conceptual menus, Chef Nico’s culinary mastery has brought diners in need of a much-needed getaway on a trip with their tastebuds to experience the rich flavours found in the south of Italy.

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They haven’t even scrimped on their sanitisers. Each table is armed with a chic bottle of spray made by Scottish skincare producer, Ishga - another nod to supporting local and independent suppliers much like the food.

The meal begins with three plump spheres of golden arancini, the insides paired with flavours of red pepper and mozzarella, spinach, gorgonzola and walnut and cacio e pepe with egg yolk jam. Each one which bursts in your mouth offering a taste of the rich and punchy flavours to come throughout the rest of the menu.

The sliver of Sicilian lamb comes garnished with powerful goat’s cheese and flavoursome olive tapenade, however after the rich perfectly paired first course, the second seemed to have packed too much on the plate to have the change to enjoy each element.

Hazelnut ragu combines a rich and nutty sauce with sticky fresh pasta and a satisfying crunch which is enough to make you stop the meal right there and ask for a whole bowl of it – or at least the secret recipe to make it at home.

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Seabass arrives as the fourth course, fried until it is just crispy and laid on a bed of rich puttanesca. Fresh, juicy cherry tomatoes and the flavours of the sea make you believe that you could close your eyes and be transported to a Sicilian beach, lapping up the last of the sun and offers a welcome break between richer dishes to palette cleanse.

The last of the savoury portions is a thick cut of porchetta with sharp pickled fennel and a nutty pistachio crumb. It is by far the richest dish out of the lot, and if you were questioning how full you might be at the end of the meal, ask no more.

The finale which is a thick, cool Sicilian lemon tart gains top marks from diners with a sweet tooth and those who prefer something more fresh alike as it checks all the boxes. The creaminess of the creme fraiche sorbet is teamed with rich and fruit red wine gel with a crunch of crystallised pine nut and rosemary on a bed of fresh lemon tart on a basil sable. It’s the staff’s favourite dessert so I’m told and it is easy to see why.

While those dining at the menu in the Capital may not be on the island soaking up the sun and taking in breath-taking landscapes, Chef Nico’s menu will take your tastebuds on a trip - close your eyes and you might even picture yourself there.

The Six by Nico Sicily menu will run until October 18.

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