Zucchini Pasta Bar at No. 28*

What happens when your favourite pasta joint goes out on a bender?

UPDATE: The Zucchini pop-up ended and 28 now has its own kitchen in operation, not sure what they’e up to but let me know if you’ve had a good/bad experience.

Zucchini Pasta Bar at No. 28 (27-29 Nelson St, NE1 5AN) is what happens.

It’s an interesting pop-up from the guys behind one of my city centre favourites, Zucchini Pasta Bar, who’ve been thriving through lockdown by smashing out pasta via every possible avenue. From bucatini meatball burritos (seriously) at the This is Tomorrow Festival, stints at The Staiths Cafe, knocking out Deliveroos & keeping the NE well stocked with lasagne via Uber Eats, everyone has surely fallen in love with their fresh hand-rolled pasta by now?

You may be aware that No. 28 is no longer home to Meat:Stack, but that venture seemed pretty successful for the late-night bar so it makes so it makes sense to get something of a similar ilk in.

It’s not Zucchini as you know it though. Think, Zucchini Pasta Bar after it gives up on its diet and beds down for a winter carb-loading hibernation. What do the chefs want to eat? I’d imagine it’s food like this.

Super simple menu including some of the pasta dishes you know and love for about £8-9. Beefy lasagne, straight-up bolognese, mac & cheese, meatballs. And then there’s a few new dirty additions which stray a little from the core pasta offering like a fried chicken sandwich and a sloppy Joe hot dog.

I tried the meatball sub (£9.5) which was a whopper. Think: sloppy, shove it in your mouth hole, get cheese and sauce all over your face kind of food. The core meatballs are great, as per the pasta bar and then it becomes something altogether different once you start adding in the sides like this ridiculous bolognese garlic bread (£5.5).

It’s a monster! Lots of cheese, lots of sauce, lots of meat juices. It goes everywhere, but that’s the point. If you’ve had a OTT Friday evening, I can’t think of anything better to eat.

We also had the Mac and cheese, which here comes adorned with pulled pork. It’s a solid take on the dish, not spectacular but it’s comfort food that’ll make you feel good inside. Everything’s got the quality you’d come to expect from the Zucchini gang. I guess it’s flavour-first, diner-esque food.

In ‘not-so-carbalicious items’, there’s fiery nduja chicken wings which are a fine distraction, mozzarella dippers and a “yeah right” house salad. But let’s be honest, you’re here for the filth. It fits well with No. 28. The bottomless brunch tables here aren’t looking for a delicate courgette tarte fine, they’re looking for starchy carbs and cheese.

We finished on the tiramisu sundae, a saccharine twist on Zucchini’s tried and tested coffee, cream and chocolate cake classic. Shared it, obvs. Bit annoying to eat.

Pasta purists will wanna stick to the Zucchini Pasta Bar city centre HQ, but if you’re looking for a twist on that formula, the popup here is satisfying hangover food of the highest order. It makes absolute sense at Number 28, so come here with a sore head, or any general melancholy about life, and within an hour or so, you’ll be right as rain.

* For complete disclosure, we were invited to the opening night of Zucchini @ No. 28 and received this meal free of charge.