The Sardinian flag as adopted in its present form only 10 years ago. It features a thin red cross on a white background — with the severed head of a Moor displayed in each of the quarterings.
These days the Moors face right and they each have a bandage around their forehead, rather like a do-rag. Before 1999, however, the heads faced left and the bandage covered their eyes —because what the flag symbolises is the defeat and execution of Moorish kings after the reconquest of the island in the 11th century.
These days the Moors face right and they each have a bandage around their forehead, rather like a do-rag. Before 1999, however, the heads faced left and the bandage covered their eyes —because what the flag symbolises is the defeat and execution of Moorish kings after the reconquest of the island in the 11th century.
Tenore Sardinian Restaurant in Barnsbury Road London N1 display the flag of Sardinia proudly, with two whopping ones draped over the front window and another flying inside over the bar. Sardinian brothers Alessandro and Dario Mele, who have worked in London restaurants for 10 years, opened Tenore earlier this year with, as chef, Roberto Tonzanu, formerly of Passione, where he worked alongside Geraldo Contaldo.
They aim to deliver a full 'taste of Sardinia', if that’s what you fancy, but it’s not compulsory. There is a dual menu, offering mainstream Italian dishes before the Sardinian specials, as well as a long list of pizzas from the wood-fired oven, ranging from a Margherita at £6.80 to assorted versions made with buffalo mozzarella at £10.75. Tenore offers an intriguing list of Sardinian wines, many based on unfamiliar grapes. The house wines come from the Cantina di Dorgali on the east coast of the island and are good value at £13.75 a bottle, £3.75 a glass — the rich red “cannonau” being in fact what is called garnacha in Spain grenache in France.
They aim to deliver a full 'taste of Sardinia', if that’s what you fancy, but it’s not compulsory. There is a dual menu, offering mainstream Italian dishes before the Sardinian specials, as well as a long list of pizzas from the wood-fired oven, ranging from a Margherita at £6.80 to assorted versions made with buffalo mozzarella at £10.75. Tenore offers an intriguing list of Sardinian wines, many based on unfamiliar grapes. The house wines come from the Cantina di Dorgali on the east coast of the island and are good value at £13.75 a bottle, £3.75 a glass — the rich red “cannonau” being in fact what is called garnacha in Spain grenache in France.
Click here to read the review in the London Evening Standard.
For holidays on the beautiful Italian island of Sardinia contact the specialists Just Sardinia http://www.justsardinia.co.uk/ Tel 01202 484858.
