‘Un morso di paradiso’
It didn’t start well. I entered a restaurant where there was only one other table being used: what appeared to be a mother and son. I stood for a moment at the sign that said: ‘Please wait here to be seated’ but no-one came. I advanced into the restaurant. I was aware there were people in the kitchen but they were not aware of me. I walked up to the counter. A man and a woman were behind it, chatting. They did not notice me. Suddenly, he did. He was eating, flustered. I explained that I had booked for eight but I was early. He didn’t understand. Another man arrived, I explained again. He didn’t understand. A third man arrived and told me to sit anywhere. From then on the service was faultless.
There is a sign outside the restaurant that warns diners that cooking good food takes time so they should be prepared to wait. I came prepared with a book. Perhaps it was because there were so few customers that night, but I didn’t notice any undue delay in the service or the food preparation.
There was an extensive menu and also an extensive menu of specials, as well as a good wine list. I chose a large glass of the house red, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, which was magnificently rich, smooth and full of flavour.
My starter was Melanzane al Formaggio. Chargrilled slices of aubergine were rolled into parcels containing mushrooms and rocket, the whole dish slathered in an impossibly delicious creamy gorgonzola sauce. This was served with wedges of raw tomato which was, I think, the only mistake. Otherwise, even though rocket wilts easily, the dish was heavenly. At this stage I feared the main dish could only be an anticlimax.
How wrong I was. My Pollo Porcini e Tartuffo was almost too good to be true. It wasn’t so much the headline: chicken breast and mushroom in a creamy truffled sauce as the accompaniments. Beautifully al dente green beans offered a fresh counterpoint to the sauce. Another counterpoint came in the tang of the vinaigrette on a superb salad. For those who were hungry, there were some substantial potato wedges. The flavours were beautifully balanced; my taste buds were in paradise.
I was too full to contemplate dolci. I finished my wine with a decaff Americano; a perfect ending to a glorious meal.
20th August 2026, 7.30 PM
It didn’t start well. I entered a restaurant where there was only one other table being used: what appeared to be a mother and son. I stood for a moment at the sign that said: ‘Please wait here to be seated’ but no-one came. I advanced into the restaurant. I was aware there were people in the kitchen but they were not aware of me. I walked up to the counter. A man and a woman were behind it, chatting. They did not notice me. Suddenly, he did. He was eating, flustered. I explained that I had booked for eight but I was early. He didn’t understand. Another man arrived, I explained again. He didn’t understand. A third man arrived and told me to sit anywhere. From then on the service was faultless.
There is a sign outside the restaurant that warns diners that cooking good food takes time so they should be prepared to wait. I came prepared with a book. Perhaps it was because there were so few customers that night, but I didn’t notice any undue delay in the service or the food preparation.
There was an extensive menu and also an extensive menu of specials, as well as a good wine list. I chose a large glass of the house red, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, which was magnificently rich, smooth and full of flavour.
My starter was Melanzane al Formaggio. Chargrilled slices of aubergine were rolled into parcels containing mushrooms and rocket, the whole dish slathered in an impossibly delicious creamy gorgonzola sauce. This was served with wedges of raw tomato which was, I think, the only mistake. Otherwise, even though rocket wilts easily, the dish was heavenly. At this stage I feared the main dish could only be an anticlimax.
How wrong I was. My Pollo Porcini e Tartuffo was almost too good to be true. It wasn’t so much the headline: chicken breast and mushroom in a creamy truffled sauce as the accompaniments. Beautifully al dente green beans offered a fresh counterpoint to the sauce. Another counterpoint came in the tang of the vinaigrette on a superb salad. For those who were hungry, there were some substantial potato wedges. The flavours were beautifully balanced; my taste buds were in paradise.
I was too full to contemplate dolci. I finished my wine with a decaff Americano; a perfect ending to a glorious meal.
The whole thing came to under £40, service to be added at the diner's discretion.
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