Italian Gossip Restaurant In Poole

I went to an Italian restaurant in a great location on Poole Quay on Sunday for a bit of lunch. Italian Gossip is the name of the restaurant and it may be familiar to locals as they also used to have a restaurant by the same name in Canford Cliffs.

There was seven of us in total including our 3 children and we were made to feel very welcome by the owner, Alex right from the start. Gossip is a genuine Italian restaurant which Alex was keen to point out, as there are many Italian restaurants in Bournemouth and some in Poole that are not run by Italians and have Italian chefs.

All of the staff at Gossip are Italian so it adds to the atmosphere and you can of course then expect genuine Italian cuisine.

The restaurant is in Dolphin Quays, a fairly new residential development with shops and restaurants underneath. You can expect some great views as the restaurant has a glass front looking over Poole Quay and Brownsea Island.

We just went for a main course today and I had Tagliatelle with Chicken, tomato and cream  - beautiful. I could have eaten more though but I guess that left room for desert.

Everyone enjoyed their food including my children whom they did smaller portions off the adult menu for. They were flexible with regards to the children and in all honesty I think they would have made pretty much whatever the children wanted as long as it wasn’t to far off the menu.

Price wise it is not the cheapest Italian restaurant you will visit but you do get good food, great views and friendly service, all of which I personally value.

If your in the area give them a try and have a walk down the quay after dinner - very romantic! Let us know what you thought of Gossip if you go by writing comments below.

Prezzo Bournemouth Review

I went with my family and parents to Prezzo today in Bournemouth, opposite the Royal Bath Hotel on Westover Road.  Prezzo is a chain of Italian restaurants, operated by Prezzo PLC and there are around 60 in the UK.

There were 7 of us eating including 3 children and we went straight in with main courses perhaps hoping there would be some room for desert!

I ordered Polpette Al Forno after seing someone elses on the way in - it looked gorgeous and basically consisted of Penne pasta with Meatballs, caramelised onions, chillis, garlic, mushrooms in a tomato sauce and baked in the oven.

Food came about 20 minutes after ordering and we found the all foreign staff to be friendly and efficient complete with a few Italians!

I really enjoyed my meal as did another family member who had the same. All three children ate every last thing on their plate to which is quite rare! My wife went for one of her post night out meals - good old naughty but nice burger and fries. Again she really enjoyed it and still managed a few mouthfuls of mine!

For all 7 of us the meal came to £72 although I understand we used a cuple of vouchers which gave us 2 meals for free. One of the kids actually asked if we could come again as they really enjoyed the food - won’t be long before we have another reviewer on our hands!

For desert I went for a chocolate buiscuit cake which was quite nice - not the most generous portion size for £4.95 though.

I would certainly visit there again based on this visit. If I had one negative thing to say it would be that the tables were a little to close together.

If you vist Prezzo in Bournemouth let us know how you found it by writing a comment below or join us and become a reviewer!

For more information about Prezzo you can visit their Website at: http://www.prezzoplc.co.uk

Frankie & Benny’s In Bournemouth Review

It’s been a long time since I have been to a Frankie and Bennies but I enjoyed it last time so here we go.

It was a Sunday night just after the Bournemouth Air Festival had finished and I was starving so me and my wife popped into Frankie and Benny’s by Castle point in Bournemouth.

I really like the actual place as it has a friendly cosy feel to it and good old classics playing in the background with lots of New York memorabillia on the walls. The menu has plenty of favourites on and I would normally struggle to choose though this visit I had my heart on a Pizza as we had initially been there only to find they did not have enough staff in to actually seat people let alone cook for them!! They literally wouldn’t let people come through the door!

I ordered a Hawaian Pizza and my wife ordered the BBQ ribs which I was a little nervous about as the idea of being jelious of her food didn’t appeal (She often end up with the best meal!).  Our waiter was polite and attentive and it wasn’t long before dinner served up.

My Pizza ( a 10″) was a traditional thin based Italian stone baked Pizza with a fair amount of topping. My wife’s BBQ ribs looked gorgeous and I even managed to get a couple from her!

The food was hot and tasted lovely so no complaints there at all. I was tempted by the desert menu which included a nice bit of Cheesecake - one of their specialities aparently but didn’t quite have ebnough room for it sadly.

I shall definately be going back here sometime soon and if you want to learn more about Frankie and Benny’s or find one in your area go to: http://www.frankieandbennys.com

Stefanos Italian Restaurant Keighley

Stefanos Italian Restaurant is really fantastic - why:

- Service is very good, personal and welcoming.

- Menu is typical, however the specials board is amazing, changes nightly

- Food cooked to order by an authentic Italian Chef

- Presentation of food is very appealing

- Complementary Tomato & Garlic Pizza Bread for starters, Sauté potatoes with the main, and a shot to finish your meal

- Open kitchen, can see everything that is going on

Stefanos Italian Restaurant offers two evening sittings, 6pm and 8.30pm, the latter is extremely popular so do not be surprised if you have to wait several weeks to get a table at the weekend.

The restaurant is fully booked for Xmas Eve & New Years Eve and has been since January.

I tried to go once a month, assuming I can get a reservation!  We have started to book a table in advance, so September & October reservations already made!

The restaurant is small, and can get a little cramped, especially if there is a large group in.  However, you forget this once you have your food.

There is no air conditioning in the restaurant, there is a smoker area outside on the terrace.  Restaurant offers takeaway pizza’s service also.

Try this restaurant - you really will not be disappointed!

Da Gherardo Pizzeria Spaghetteria In Lucca

Well here goes, my first Italian meal in Italy! We pulled in at the port of Livorono and ended up in Lucca for a few hours so we found a little place called Da Gherardo for a quick lunch stop.

As I walked under the parasols to find a seat I was greeted by a waitress flipping out at me for dripping water coming off my umbrella onto their seat cushions - nice! Not quite the welcome you would expect when going to eat but hey we are in Italy know with the infamous Mediterranean tempers!

Once we got ourselves sat down I had Tuna bolognese and a nice Becks for a change and my partner had a seafood pasta dish. It seems that the Italians use very little of the actual bolognese sause with the pasta and kind of mix it all in. Very different to how we do it at home with a huge pile of bolognese on the top of our pasta.

The portion size wasn’t huge but I guess it was adequate for a light lunch and if you wanted a desert I’m sure you would have room. The Italians do definitely make some great ice cream actually.

There is not a lot more to tell you about Da Gherado’s as it was just your run of the mill pizzeria, not a gourmet restaurant. It was situated in a nice place though, P.zza Anfiteatro (Amphitheatre to you and I) in the centre of Lucca.

If you end up eating there why not let us know how you found it by adding a comment below. You can take a look at their website here to: http://www.dagherardo.com/

Da Vinci’s Ristorante Pizzeria on Poole Quay

I went to Da Vinci’s last night for a spur of the moment meal with my family and though I have been there before I have never wrote about it so…

The staff at Da Vinci’s are all Italian so rest assured you will feel as though you are in an authentic Italian restaurant! We have always found them to be friendly and especially nice to our children. I can’t say that the service is excellent to be honest for example as we found that we had to ask for things twice. For example they forgot to come and offer pepper and parmesan but once they were told they swiftly brought it.

I ordered good old Spaghetti bolognese for my main course and prawn cocktail for my starters but others were more adventurous and ordered locally caught mackerel and Sea Bass. You can expect around a 25 minute wait if you order sea bass as it takes a while to cook but it was well worth it.

The portions are not huge but they are ample for most and besides it does leave room for some desert! You will find the usual Italian deserts such as ice cream, crème brulee, profiteroles etc.

They have a good range of wines and one of my favourite Italian lagers, Peroni. Prices are reasonable and they are located right on the Quay front which offers a nice walk after dinner.

If you visit Da Vinci’s in Poole why not tell us about it below and if you would like to find out more about them go to: http://www.da-vincis.co.uk/pizzeria2.php

Mezza Luna Restaurant In Poole Review

Mezza Luna is a fantastic new restaurant opened last year with a perfect view over Poole Park lake. So nice in fact are the views from the upstairs part of the restaurant that if you want to eat there on a weekend I highly recommend booking in advance.

I went to Mezza Luna the day after I got married on a Saturday night and it was a last minute thought. They were fully booked but very kindly they found us a nice table for two in a matter of minutes which was great.

Mezza Luna’s design is really focused on the lake view and it curves around it with space for tables and chairs outside too. It’s a modern and contemporary Italian restaurant with quality food and drink.

I found the service to be very good, they were friendly, polite and efficient which was nice. As for the food I ordered the Pollo Alla Cacciatora which consisted of chicken, mushrooms, white wine and tomato sauce. My partner ordered Liunguine Alla Mari Monti, a seafood pasta with clams, mussels, scallops and white wine with saffron. Both meals were truly superb. The ingredients were clearly all fresh and sourced from high quality suppliers.

The food was served piping hot as it should be and my vegetables were steamed to perfection, not to hard and not to soft. We also had a side salad of green leaves and the dressing was lovely.

Our first experience of Mezza Luna was a good one, in fact I couldn’t really fault it. The next time I visit I would like to sit up top though!

If you visit Mezza Luna let us know in the comment section below we’d love your opinion too and if you want to learn more about them go to: http://www.mezza-luna.co.uk