The Italian Job

How was I not previously aware of this bar? An Italian beer bar in London. Frickin’ awesome. The Italian beer scene is underrated and under known and hopefully this bar owned by the Birrificio del Ducato brewery will address that somewhat. I stuck to their own beers on this occasion, although other Italian beers were available. Their AFO was a deliciously crisp amber ale, but their DIPA called Machete was the standout. I could have happily had some more but it wasn’t the best long term plan.
The bar seems a little expensive at first, but isn’t really that bad when you consider the beer has been transported across from Italy.
There were a couple of negatives. The large Machete measure was supposed to be ²⁄₃ of a pint. Neither I nor the waitress realised this and so I was lucky enough to get a pint. They then tried to bill us for two halves which was a bit cheeky as it was not pointed out to us until after I had finished the pint. They did correct this when we pointed it out though so I don’t hold that too strongly against them. The other problem wasn’t really the bar’s fault but when we arrived there was a large and very loud group of guys drinking, shouting and clapping. In my brief foray to the bar they were turning up the decibels on a charming conversation about how English women are fatter than Sicilian women. We retreated outside until they oozed off elsewhere.

Craft beer is a relatively new phenomenon in Italy but the beers produced there are good and sometimes truly unique, or so I had been told. I honestly never though I’d find it in enough quantity to actually decide. Then I found The Italian Job when looking for places to explore on my trip to London.
A bit off the beaten track for me as a tourist, The Italian Job is relatively sparse in decorations and and the food menu is somewhat limited. What makes this place is the beer selection. It’s all Italian craft beer. They have 12 beers on draught (10 on tap and 2 on hand pump), plus a selection in bottles.
But are they good beers? Yes. Perhaps they’re a bit on the spendy side but that’s always expected with imported craft beer and Italian beer tends to be on the expensive side anyway. I personally had he Kiss Me Lipsia by Birrocio Del Ducato (salty and sour) and Fleurette by Birrifico Italiano (refreshing but not as floral as expected). In hindsight, my only regret was not trying more of their beers.
For food, I tried the Reginelle, which is deep fried pizza dough covered in tomato sauce, Parmigiano Reggiano, fresh basil and EV olive oil. It was exactly what I needed to go with my beer.
What I really wish I could give is a 4.5. It got rounded up enthusiasm for the idea of Italian craft beer. It’s certainly on my list when I’m in the area.

Great selection of beers and the staff is really helpful, unless another Italian customer happens to stroll in… and you may be left hanging while they run through their pleasantries. Clearly a place for people who like beer but don’t really fancy the pub experience. The décor is very spartan with bare brick walls and basic wood furniture, all laid out in a square room. Not quite sure what to think of the place as the room is not cozy enough to want to stay long, and with so many beer options in Chiswick it for me is a ‘quick pint’ on the way home [or on the way to dinner] kind of place.

Hmpf. I just don’t know what to think of this new craft brewery. I so badly want this place to succeed because I think Chiswick really needs a place like this for people like my husband and I and everyone else who doesn’t want to go to a standard pub and drink standard lagers.
Something was off though. I think it was the extremely uncomfortable chairs and the overall ambience of the space. The décor is cute. Exposed brick walls. A welcoming bar. Neat-​looking tables and chairs. A mirror board noting the day’s food specials.
The feeling of the space was what threw me off the most. When you walk in the door, it’s a big open space with tables (too much empty space, need more tables) and directly in front of you is the bar. There are barstools at the bar which were all taken and about half of the tables were taken as well. As we sat there, I couldn’t help but think that the space may have been more intimate and inviting if they would have installed the bar lengthwise down the space instead of «front and center». So, I guess that’s what was off for me — the lack of intimacy. Too much open space. Too bright of lighting. Too easy to hear the other tables’ conversations. I also don’t recall any music which would be a great thing to have.
The staff (owners?) were super friendly and quickly ran over to assist us as soon as we sat down in those ungodly uncomfortable chairs. OH THE CHAIRS. I’ve never sat in a more uncomfortable and unflattering chair in my life. My ass looked the width of a lorry when I sat down. The wooden slats and metal frame of the chair back dug into my upper back. If the gods of The Italian Job are reading this, get rid of the chairs!
The beer menu was more extensive than I thought it was going to be. Perhaps around 15 beers to select from, however, they happened to be out of our first two selections, so that was depressing. Not to fear though, the owner (?) was quick to point out suitable alternatives and we went with his suggestions, in half-​pint form. At £3.50 for a half-​pint, I felt the prices were a bit steep.
The beer was good (unfortunately I cannot remember the cheeky names of them). I actually enjoyed both a lot but my husband said that they were just «ok». I think the problem was that we had just come from the Draft House in Hammersmith where he happened to have consumed a very good beer.
If we were not due to move out of Chiswick in a week, we’d likely return. I think the Italian Job would be a great place to enjoy a couple of beers on their patio on a warm summer day.