The Observer
Jay Rayner was highly impressed by a new spot from the family that launched the Spaghetti House group back in 1955. The antipasti included “a truly delightful dish of smoked, thinly sliced tuna, with bite and tension, dressed with seriously good olive oil, then piled with a salad of ribbon-thin fennel and orange”, while the pappardelle with ragu was excellent – “perhaps unsurprisingly, given the company’s heritage”, and the thin and crispy crusted pizzas boasted “an uncommon subtlety to the toppings”.
“Not everything is great”, though. The sirloin steak tagliata “sits, completely
under-seasoned and looking sorry for itself, on one side of the plate, next to a wan pile of rocket”.
Worse still is “the bizarre drinks offering that, given the generally reasonable prices for the food, feels like a violent and aggressive act”, with the cheapest red or white wines priced at £35 a bottle. “It’s a wine list written for an entirely different business; one I’m not keen on visiting.”
Jay Rayner - 2024-04-14
