The Italian Caffe Review

Gathering a squad of twenty five women together for a birthday celebration can be tough. But not when you have the help of the team at the Italian Caffe on hand. We were looking for a lively casual place that would cater to most, and that’s exactly what we got.

Our interaction with the staff started before the day of the meal, with multiple calls to organise decorations and a cake that was to be delivered before hand. The initial calls through to the reception on the night were friendly and welcoming and the staff were superefficient. During our meal we were entertained by a few colourful characters who waited our table. The staff were only too happy to add banter to the evening’s proceedings, while orchestrating a smooth service that helped us have a great time

On arrival we chose some bubbles from a reasonably priced and varied wine list as we sat, which was delivered promptly, and chilled as it should be. Next, the food order. We opted for the three course set menu for £19.95. On offer was typical Italian fayre, from a Caprese salad, to antipasto and pasta. My friends and I ordered from a list of half a dozen options on the set menu, that we happily we devoured. I chose the Insalata Caprese to start with, which although hard to get wrong, was really good. It was a decent portion size, not as sizeable as the rustic antipasto dish which was generous but tasty. I also sampled some fresh calamari with a light batter, a starter I would definitely go for if I return.

For my main dish I chose the fresh fillet of salmon served with ratatouille. The portion again was pretty large, but I managed to polish it off as there was no accompanying rice or potatoes to fill me up with carbs. Two succulent salmon fillets sat next to a rich tomato ratatouille served with fresh salad and the subtle herbs used in the salmon complimented the vegetable mix. Others in the group tucked into the seven other menu choices, the most popular dishes being chicken Milanese and spaghetti with prawns.

We had organised our own birthday cake so opted not to order dessert from the menu. The three choices of tiramisu, ice-cream, and cheesecake looked tasty as we saw them delivered to other tables though, and I’ll be severely tempted by the tiramisu should I visit again.