Italian restaurant refuses to serve carbonara after diners demand cream
An Italian restaurant has removed carbonara from its menu, saying that too many diners were asking for cream, chicken, and mushrooms.
The chefs at Bottega Prelibato in Shoreditch, east London, axed the “controversial” dish after being unable to satisfy demanding customers, owner Gianfillippo Mattioli said.
Carbonara is made by whisking eggs, Guanciale or pancetta, and parmesan with freshly cooked spaghetti and is said to have been invented near Rome during the Second World War.
But the simple pasta is often augmented with other ingredients, including cream, mushrooms, nutmeg and even tomatoes, angering purists.
Mr Mattioli said: “We do it the right way, because I am from Rome and I actually know how to do it, and my chef does as well. We don’t use cream, we pre-cook the Italian Guanciale and we make it crispy.
“It’s very controversial. It is very easy to think of as a dish but it’s actually very complicated and difficult to satisfy people.”
He didn’t rule out putting the dish back on the menu in the future, but said his chefs were focusing on heavier dishes, such as ragu, during the winter.
Bottega Prelibato said in a post on Instagram that it is “proud of our recipe, which follows the traditional Roman style, without any cream or other additives”.
The post continued: “We also understand that not everyone shares our taste for this classic dish. Some of you have asked us to add cream, mushrooms, chicken, or other ingredients to our carbonara. Some said it was too salty, others that it was not creamy enough.”
It shared negative reviews of its dish, including some that said it had “lacked flavour” and another which said: “Worst carbonara I’ve ever had. I couldn’t eat it. Tasted like Indian food.”
Earlier this year, an Italian academic caused controversy when he told the Financial Times that carbonara was an “American dish”.
Drawing on food histories including A Brief History of Pasta, which describes it as “an American dish born in Italy”, Alberto Grandi, a professor at the University of Parma, also said most Italians had not known about pizza until the 1950s.
Some historians challenge its traditional origin story, suggesting that it was in fact American soldiers who created the dish, with their rations of eggs and bacon.
Coldiretti, Italy’s biggest farmers’ association, hit back at the claims, describing it as a “surreal attack” as the country mounted an attempt to get its cuisine on the Unesco intangible cultural heritage list.
A decision on whether to add Italian food to the list is expected in December 2025.
Carbonara is not the only dish to cause clashes between Britons and Italians. In 2017, former Bake Off judge Mary Berry was criticised for adding thyme, garlic and white wine to her bolognese.
But old-fashioned chefs, including Marcella Hazan, author of The Classic Italian Cookbook, also used milk or dairy in a ragu, it was pointed out.
Other quintessentially Italian items, including tiramisu and Panettone, have had their traditional recipes challenged in recent years.
The citrus-and-raisin-stuffed sweet bread has become more popular than a traditional Christmas cake, but has become the subject of much discussion as a result of ingredient changes.
In 2022, a parmesan and black pepper Panettone from Waitrose tested the patience of Italian cooks, with Cristina Onuta, the owner of one of London’s oldest Italian delicatessen stores, asking if bacon would be added next.
This year, shoppers can opt for a limoncello Panettone from Fortnum & Mason, or a cinnamon bun “Bunettone” from Waitrose.
