Secret location, East End www.forzawin.com
This is Forza Win(ter), the seasonal iteration of the communal supper club Forza Win. Started a couple of years ago in an enterprising young man’s garden and now in its fifth season, it has grown to become the go-to food event for young urbanites looking for a great evening.
The idea is simple: guests buy tickets at £35 a pop to eat a three-course Italian meal at a secret location in the East End. The emphasis is very much on the communal aspect, with diners being seated alongside strangers to bring out their social side. An evening of good food, drink and steadily-merrier-as-the-evening-progresses banter ensues.
I hesitate; am I trendy enough for this? I don’t wear thick, black-rimmed glasses, I don’t button my shirt up all the way to the top sans necktie, and I don’t attend the de rigueur street food events in Hackney and Dalston to which I receive constant invites, although one of these days I may cave.
Happily, our table turns out to be a pleasant bunch which we warm to quickly. Dining with complete strangers is a fantastic idea; far more rewarding than being restricted to speaking only with those you arrived with.
The roasted polenta potatoes are crispy on the outside and soft in the middle, as they should be. The main course was accompanied by a warm kale salad with chestnuts, lemon and anchovies. Kale is in season and seems to be served everywhere at the minute, which is fine by me as I love it, and this is wonderfully crunchy with a delicious dressing.
Preceding this was a starter of minestrone; not the supermarket value stuff your mate at uni had for dinner every night, but a delightfully rich and spicy concoction of tomato, pasta, and shredded ham. Served, of course, in an enormous bowl to dole out to hungry diners, with fresh green pesto and slices of rustic bread accompanying. It is rich, hearty and delicious, just the thing with which to combat the impending winter.
After everyone has been fed and watered there is some entertainment, with two-fifths of the talented Josh Flowers & The Wild performing a variety of acoustic numbers to get our feat tapping, including a hilarious cover of Daniel Bedingfield’s’If You’re not the One’ for a girl celebrating her birthday. It rounds off the evening rather well.
We’ve already resolved to return with more people next season. Availability is scarce, with only a few tickets left this season, though last-minute availability is announced through Forza Win’s Twitter. If pop-up dining is your thing then put aside any preconceived notions of your own trendiness and just go – you won’t be disappointed.