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* Pinnochio's
* Umberto's Trattoria Italia
* Figaro's
* Caffe Uno
* Prezzo
* Bella Italia
* Pizza Express
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68-70, St. Benedicts St, Norwich, Norfolk NR2 4AR
Tel: 01603 615581
Smoking: Yes - designated area
Parking: No - nearest parking St. Andrews or car park near Toys R Us/TK Maxx
Expect to pay: £20 (approx) a head for two courses with drinks and £25 (approx) a head for three courses with drinks
Several people have recommended this Italian restaurant to us and, having noticed that it is very often busy, we decided to give it a go.
Inside and outside, the restaurant looks like it has not changed since 1980. Neither has the long menu, which is filled with the same unimaginative dishes that you have had at every run-of-the-mill Italian restaurant since 1980, nor the curt service.
The old waiter welcomed us to the restaurant and set the tone for the evening's service with a bored "Yes?".
For a restaurant of this quality, the wine is enormously expensive so we decided to buy a litre caraffe of house white for £12.95, which arrived in a tired looking glass jug.
We asked for a jug of tap water and the young waiter refused to give it to us saying that he is not allowed to give us tap water, we have to buy bottled water. Outrageous!!!
The food was presented on crockery that even your granny wouldn't use any more and was of a quality that was the norm in the1980s but that is not up-to-standard for 2007.
My crostini tasted like hard, stale bread, the tiny portion of pennette was really, really, really, really over-cooked and the tomoato sauce with calabrese bacon was just dull. I can cook better than this and I expect to be impressed when I pay for a meal out.
Of the other meals, the duck was "nice", the pizza was "very poor" and the four thumb-sized pieces of "rack of lamb" and small amount of vegetables for £10.75, hugely overpriced.
There was a long gap between the arrival of the food and the collection of the plates, during which we were completely ignored. Our honest reply to "Was everything alright?" was ignored too, as was our departure from the restaurant.
Norwich, you must not accept this quality of food and service. It is simply not good enough. You deserve so much better for the money.
Recommendation: stay at home, open a tin of alphabetti spaghetti and order a home delivery pizza. Drink as much tap water as you like.
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11, St. Benedicts St, Norwich, Norfolk NR2 4PE
Tel: 01603 613318
Smoking: Yes - designated area
Parking: No - Nearest parking St. Andrews or car park near Toys R Us/TK Maxx
Expect to pay: £20-25 (approx) a head for two courses with drinks and £25-30 (approx) a head for three courses with drinks
We hadn't been here for a while and thought it was about time we paid Pinocchios another visit. We were meeting our friends Kammy and Steve for dinner. We hadn't seen them for ages and were looking forward to a good catch up and obviously a good meal.
When we got there, we were welcomed like old friends, even though I'm sure we don't know the manager that well. It was really nice though and we felt comfortable straight away. We were led to a lovely table by the window upstairs, given menus, offered a jug of water which was promptly brought to our table.
I think every table was full and there was a lovely buzz of conversation, laughter and the usual cacofony of cutlery on plates, chinking of glasses and music in the air.
The service we received was excellent as usual. Efficient, helpful and friendly without overstepping the mark. The staff actually looked incredibly busy and maybe could've done with an extra set of hands or two. We had to keep 'grabbing' our waitress for more water and wine.
I thought the food was good this evening, but not quite up to the normal standards. Presentation-wise it was perfect as usual, but I just thought my starter and main were ever-so-slightly overcooked. There was no reason to complain, just something I noticed. This may be do to the fact they were so busy. The bottles of Pino Grigio we had with the meal were absolutely perfect.
I had: For starter I had the griddled salmon and prawn skewers on a bed of rocket and aioli. I really liked the sound of this and when it came it looked exactly as I imagined - blackened shell-on prawns with chunks of juicy salmon. However, the salmon unfortunately was not juicy and was almost white, it had been cooked so much. Surprisingly it was still very tasty. The prawns were very good but again had maybe been cooked that extra few seconds they didn't need.
For main I had the roasted seabass on a bed of gnocchi, beans and squash. With this I shared some peas and carrots with Kammy, who had the same main as me. It was very nice. Fresh fish and the accompaniments complimented it very well. Again though, the bass had maybe been left in the oven slightly longer than it needed to be.
For desert I of course had the panna cotta. I was a little disappointed that they'd changed it, possibly for the summer months. Instead of it coming plain with a rasperry coulis, it was now a coconut panna cotta with pineapple. I'm not a great fan of either coconut or pineapple but I just had to have it. It was excellent, really really good. The panna cotta was so light and tasty and the pineapple 'fizzed' on the tongue. I really enjoyed it and may now have changed my mind about coconut and pineapple.
Overall, a really nice evening spent with some good friends. We left contented, happy and will definitely be coming back in the near future. Just watch your timings Mr. Chef!
Rating:
Food ***1/2 Service ***** Atmosphere ***** Menu ***** Wine/Drinks *****
OVERALL ****
For older reviews of Pinocchio's click here
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15 St Benedict's Street, Norwich, NR2 4PE
Telephone - 01603 622157
Expect to pay: £20 (approx) a head for two courses with drinks and £25 (approx) a head for three courses with drinks
You may not believe this but I hadn't even been into a Pizza Express for about seven years! I think the last time I went was when I was a young slip of a lad at uni in Canterbury. I think the reason is that I don't really see pizza as a going out sitting in a restaurant kind of meal and more of a takeaway in front of the telly on a Sunday night type of thing. However, we were on a budget so this seemed like a good idea.
It was jam-packed when we got there but we were politely dealt with by a really nice chap at the door, given a seat and some menus and told we'd be sat in about 20 minutes. We only had to wait about 10 and we were given a really nice candlelit table in the corner. I dare say it was quite romantic.
We had a fantastically chirpy and friendly waiter, who was attentive without being over fussy or 'pally', which I don't like.
It had a really bustling, fun atmosphere and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. I can't remember if they played any music but it didn't matter as the hum of conversation, laughter and clattering of pans more than made up for it.
The food was excellent. I know it was only pizza but it was very good pizza and surprisingly filling. Another reason I stopped going to Pizza Express was that I always left still hungry. Have they made their pizzas bigger? The bottle of house shiraz we had to accompany it was equally good and went with the food superbly.
Overall, a very good experience and one we may repeat sooner than seven years time!
I had: We shared dough balls with garlic butter for an appetiser. I'd never ever had dough balls! I can't believe it either. I doubt I'd have them again. They're not the most exciting thing in the world are they? They were ok and kept me going until the pizza arrived.
I had a capricciosa pizza for main course. I've had to cheat here and check on the website so I could remember everything that was on it. Prosciutto cotto ham, anchovies, fresh strips of red pepper, capers and olives, topped with a free range boiled egg. It was absolutely delicious. I hadn't had anchovies for ages and I really fancied them. Everything went so well together and also the dough was cooked perfectly. It could have done with some salad with it but we'd decided to save some money. I would definitely have this again.
Rating:
Food **** Service ***** Atmosphere **** Menu **** Wine/Drinks ****
OVERALL = ****
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2-3, Tombland, Norwich, Norfolk NR3 1HE
Tel: 01603 615718
Smoking: Yes - designated areas
Parking: No - nearest parking Tombland
Expect to pay: £15-20 (approx) a head for two courses with drinks and £20-25 (approx) a head for three courses with drinks
OK, where do I start? This sounds a bit dodgy but last week I got talking to another guy called Paul in my local pub and we got on very well. He's a Liverpool fan, I'm a Liverpool fan and we're both foodies. We had a very long chat and decided it might be nice, one day, to out for a meal with our lovely ladies.
After a few lunchtime beers we discovered we both had a 'window' in our busy schedules this evening and decided to out somewhere inexpensive because we were all a bit short on money. As Catherine and I had Spree vouchers for Caffe Uno, it seemed like a good idea to go here. It was a rubbish decision and I sincerely wish we'd gone anywhere than here, even KFC.
Our welcome was pleasant enough and we were given a nice table but from then on it was downhill.
The food was absolutely terrible and actually made me quite angry, we had very poor service from a lazy and forgetful waiter, there was no atmosphere to speak of and there was a bit too many items on the menu in my opinion. To me, it screamed 'pre-made'. Luckily, the wine was satisfactory and stopped me walking out.
It's a real shame as last time we came here, we had a really nice meal. This really disappointed me and was one of the only times in my life I haven't left a tip. I doubt we'll come back again.
I had: We declined on starters as we were saving money and went 'straight to the pies' as I like to call it. For my main course I really fancied a steak so I ordered the fillet with blue cheese sauce, mashed potato and grilled tomato from the 'specials' range.
OK, where do I start? Firstly, the steak was cooked perfectly. Everything else was completely and utterly disgusting and if the 'chef' worked in my kitchen he'd be unemployed this morning. The 'blue cheese sauce', which I doubt had hardly any blue cheese in it, just blue cheese flavouring, was quite clearly the 'boil in the bag' variety and was luke-warm. I asked the waiter to change it for me and when it came it was exactly the same plate of food (it still had my fork marks in the mashed potato!) but it had just been stuck in the microwave, hence the 'skin' on the sauce - which was STILL tepid!!! By this time I was extremely annoyed but didn't want to make a scene in front of our new friends so I grudgingly shut up and ate it. The potato was dry (possibly because it went in the microwave) and I couldn't even get my fork into the tomato. The worst plate of food I have ever had to endure. To add to this, Ruth had to get up to get me a knife as when the waiter took my plate, he also took my knife and failed to bring me another one. The manager, who brought the 'new' plate of food and to offer an apology said she would be 'back in two minutes to see if everything was OK', never returned.
Desert wasn't much better. Firstly, we had to ask for the menus twice after the waiter either forgot, or couldn't be bothered, to bring them. I had the vanilla cheesecake with a raspberry coulis. Stodgy topping that stuck to the roof of my mouth on top of an irritatingly soft base and a 'gloopy' and over-thick coulis. Avoid at all costs.
Rating
Food 1/2 Service 1/2 Atmosphere * Menu **1/2 Wine/Drinks ***
OVERALL = * (and lucky to get that)
For older reviews of Caffe Uno, click here
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11, St. Benedicts St, Norwich, Norfolk NR2 4PE
Tel: 01603 613318
Smoking: Yes - designated area
Parking: No - Nearest parking St. Andrews or car park near Toys R Us/TK Maxx
Expect to pay: £20-25 (approx) a head for two courses with drinks and £25-30 (approx) a head for three courses with drinks
It was our friend’s birthday and Pinnochio’s was her choice for her birthday extravaganza dinner. I have to admit that privately I wasn’t over excited because I have never eaten at a really good Italian restaurant. My expectations were to have an average meal; lots of pasta with a bit of tomato sauce and not much taste. However, my preconceived ideas were obliterated.
When we arrived we had a table right by the front door, but they accommodated our request to move upstairs as, on a chilly night, sat by the door would have irritated us. Nevertheless, the table we had upstairs was spacious and comfortable (I always hate feeling cramped). The décor is interesting, it wouldn’t be my choice at all; the mural on the wall looks pretty cheap in my opinion. Regardless, you can’t take deny that there is a relaxed atmosphere which makes it a great place to eat.
We settled down to order. Having one strict vegetarian, one try-hard vegetarian and a fish/nut allergy eater between us makes ordering usually a slow process. I usually find that there is a limited selection for vegetarians but Pinnochio’s was excellent.
Only three of us had starters: charred squid and chorizo salad; aubergine parcels filled with sun dried tomatoes and mozzarella; Parma ham with fresh figs, ricotta and rocket.
All in all they were pretty good but the squid lacked any sign of charring and was simply over cooked and tough.
The main courses were generally good too; stuffed chicken breast with wild mushrooms and homemade gnocchi; wild boar with roast vegetables and mash; tagliatelle alla carbonara; tricolour pizza. There wasn’t much to complain about here. There was nothing wrong with the carbonara but it was a bad choice really on my part as it never really breaks boundaries as an exciting dish. The sauce that accompanied the chicken was excellent but the dish was let down by 2 of the 5 gnocchis being cold. The wild boar lived up to its reputation as a mouth-watering dish and the pizza was full of flavour. The boar and the pizza were exceptionally good main dishes.
Only two could manage a desert: passionfruit crème brulle, which was as good as any, and chocolate and amaretti cheesecake, which was more of a chocolate brownie texture, but good nonetheless.
Overall, the food was good; a quality meal at a reasonable price. The staff were friendly and the atmosphere was great. It was a good meal and we had a great night but there were those few things that lowered our rating from an exceptional 3.5 to 3 out 5.
Rating
Food ***½ Service *** Atmosphere *** Menu ***½ Wine/Drinks ***
OVERALL = ***½
For older reviews of Pinnochios, click here
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1, All Saints St, Norwich, Norfolk NR1 3LG
Tel: 01603 667809
Smoking: Yes - designated area
Parking: No - Meter parking around area. Castle Mall is also close enough to walk from
Expect to pay: £20 (approx) a head for two courses with drinks and £25 (approx) a head for three courses with drinks
My friend Jason's birthday and eight of us went out for a meal. We got a really friendly welcome and were taken to our seats.
The atmosphere was vibrant as it still had a very 'Christmassy' feel. The staff were friendly and helpful and the food was very good. A super night had by all even though it turned out to be quite expensive per head.
I had: For starter I had the garlic mushrooms stuffed with prawns and basil. This didn't look anything like I expected it to. The mushrooms were a little on the small side and the 'prawns' were tiny! It was still very tasty though and really got my appetite going.
For main course, I had the sirloin steak with fried potatoes and salad. This was OK too. The steak was cooked perfectly but very plain without a sauce. I could have done with a pepper sauce or a garlic butter but didn't see this on the menu. I ashould have asked I suppose... I can't moan too much as it was still very enjoyable.
For dessert, I shared the house special sundae (it's for two people but if you're still hungry I reckon you could have a go on your own). This was fantastic. Vanilla and chocolate icecreams, crweam, sauce, chocolate brownies, meringue and nuts. Felt so fat afterwards but hey it is Christmas...
Rating:
Food ***1/2 Service **** Atmosphere **** Menu *** Wine/Drinks ***
OVERALL ***1/2
For older reviews of Figaros, click here
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8-10, Exchange St, Norwich, Norfolk NR2 1AT
Tel: 01603 767171
Smoking: Yes - designated areas
Parking: No - nearest car park either St. Andrews Street, St. Giles Street or Castle Mall
Expect to pay: £15-20 (approx) a head for two courses with drinks and £20-25 (approx) a head for three courses with drinks
Yet another Italian restaurant. And we went with the same couple we went with last time! To be honest, I really didn’t fancy going here. I wasn’t in the mood for Italian food (especially not pasta) and was really in the mood for a good steak or some fresh fish. This place had neither. However I was talked into it and off we went.
It was very nice in the end actually. I didn’t get my steak or fish obviously, but what I did have was enjoyable and we left full and happy. The service was excellent, the ambience was relaxed and laid back and the wine was very good too. Just a pity they don’t do steaks or fish…
I had: For starter I shared a selection of appetisers – spicy chicken wings, potato wedges, mozzarella sticks, bruschetta, vegetables in breadcrumbs served with a pesto mayonnaise dip. Not very Italian but very tasty. We nearly ended up fighting over the last bits.
For main course I had the lamb shank in a garlic, red wine and rosemary sauce with herb mash. I thought it came with green beans otherwise I’d have ordered some veg. Nonetheless, what I did get was pretty good. The lamb was very tender with the meat just falling off the bone. The sauce was good and went very well with the lamb and the mash. I still could’ve done with some veg though… Must remember to double check what I’m ordering in future!
Rating
Food *** Service *** Atmosphere *** Menu *** Drinks/Wine ***
OVERALL = ***
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2-6, Thorpe Rd, Norwich, Norfolk NR1 1RY
Tel: 01603 660404
Smoking: Yes - designated area
Parking: No - nearest parking Riverside
Expect to pay: £15-20 (approx) a head for two courses with drinks and £20-25 (approx) a head for three courses with drinks
Our first restaurant visit after getting back from holiday and rather appropriately, an Italian restaurant. It was a friend’s birthday and 8 of us went out for a meal.
Prego’s is a newly opened restaurant and I really liked the atmosphere and the décor. We got a good friendly welcome and were shown to our table. All the staff I talked to were friendly and the majority (I think!) were Italian.
The service and the wine were excellent. However, I thought the food let everything else down just a little.
Overall, a nice evening was had by everyone and we left happy and ready to go to a club.
I had: For starter I had barbeque chicken wings. Not very Italian but very nice indeed. Really tender chicken, that just fell off the bone, in a very tasty and quite spicy sauce.
For main course I had taglitelle with meatballs in a tomato, garlic and mushroom sauce. I was pretty disappointed by this. My meatballs lacked a bit of flavour and looked a bit pale. The sauce was quite watery and thin and needed seasoning . It was OK. It filled me up but I could’ve easily done a lot better at home.
Didn’t have desert.
Rating:
Food **1/2 Service ****Atmosphere *** Menu *** Drinks/Wine ***1/2
OVERALL = ***
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68-70, St. Benedicts St, Norwich, Norfolk NR2 4AR
Tel: 01603 615581
Smoking: Yes - designated area
Parking: No - nearest parking St. Andrews or car park near Toys R Us/TK Maxx
Expect to pay: £20 (approx) a head for two courses with drinks and £25 (approx) a head for three courses with drinks
Bizarrely, we were actually going out for a curry! We hadn’t booked anywhere so we were just wandering around enjoying the summery evening when we came across Trattoria. It looked so ‘homely’ and welcoming we just had to go in.
We were greeted by a very stern-looking but polite Italian man and lead to a very cosy table in the corner. The dim lighting, the Italian music, the tablecloths and even the wallpaper gave it a really authentic feel. This, added to the efficient service, all gave it a lovely atmosphere. We really liked it here.
The food was very good, the wine was just right and the bill didn’t break the bank. A great place to spend a Thursday evening.
I had: For starter I had anti-pasta. I love this and don’t have it often enough. A beautiful selection of cold meats, mackerel, anchovies, mussels, cheeses, olives, sun-dried tomatoes and salad. A really superb way to start a meal. Really appetising. You could easily just sit and eat this all night and not worry about a main course.
For main course I had Taglitelle Rustique. Fresh taglitelle pasta in a cream sauce with bacon, mushrooms and chilli. It came in quite a small bowl so I wondered if I’d ordered a starter-sized portion. I couldn’t even finish it! It was so filling. It tasted superb. I sometimes find pasta a bit boring because it’s the same mouthful every time but this was different. Now and again I was surprised by a chilli burning my tongue. It complemented the creamy sauce perfectly.
For dessert, we shared a tiramisu (what else?). It was nice but a little disappointing. It was very small and tasted like it had been soaked in a little too much liquor.
The bottle of wine we had was excellent and went perfectly with the food.
Rating:
Food ***1/2 Service ***1/2 Atmosphere ***1/2 Menu **** Wine/Drinks ***1/2
OVERALL = ***1/2
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