Restaurant review | Pitigliano, South Sea

On this occasion, the Dish Detective had an appetite for freshly cooked and authentic cuisine and after a last minute reservation cancellation for Pitigliano’s sister restaurant, the Catalan Barcelona Tapas Bar a few doors down from Marmion Road, DD and their companion have been brought here and consequently transported to an intimate Italian haven.

Warmly greeted by an Italian waitress and invited to choose any seat that would suit us as, on a quiet Tuesday evening, the restaurant had reached what one might assume to be a relatively common lull. We chose a table of four for the two of us, as if the abundant cushions and blush-colored flora hanging from the ceiling weren’t enough to make our outing decadent.

Not having had any preview of the menu before arrival as the website did not display any, meant that my mate and I were unable to pull our usual trick of going through the selection and having a pre-set answer to the question. question ‘Are you ready to order?’ No, this time we had a first look at the menu of carefully selected dishes, an experience lost in a world of barcode menus and ordering on your phone.

While the food selection lacked obvious directions for vegetarian choices, the ingredients were listed and there was a fair selection, although none for vegan visitors. The authenticity of this place, however, is clearly its unique selling point and our attentive waiter was eager to help and provide recommendations.

I started with a simple Italian classic, Bruschetta Tomatoes (£ 6.95) which was light, beautifully presented, and full of flavor. My partner chose the Crispy Tender Calamari (£ 6.95), a generous portion with a side of chili jam, the perfect touch to complement the savory crumb of the squid paste.

After a little misguided choice regarding the degree of heat, I ordered the Tagliatelle Mari & Monti pasta, prawns with wild mushrooms in a slightly spicy tomato sauce (£ 12.95), and my companion the chicken pizza made with chicken shredded, red onion, rosemary and mozzarella (£ 12.95).

Despite several mops on the forehead in an attempt to control the effects of the fiery sauce, I can say that having ordered many variations of this meal from chains such as Bella Italia and Zizzi, this was the best. I would have gladly repeated the experience from the last bite taken, the portion sizes were generous and the flavors unmatched.

Accompanied by a glass of Pinot Grigio Valdadige (£ 8.50) which was crisp, full and sweet with a lemonade top, my taste buds were truly satisfied.

My partner, although suffering from a bad craving for food, has no complaints with their dish either, which they enjoyed with a bacardi and a coke (£ 8.95).

After a response from the waitress in which she asked how I had handled her warmth recommendation and profusely apologized for perhaps misleading me, I assured her that the spices are relative to each individual and that my choice would not have differed anyway, as the flavor and quality of the dish outweighed all other elements.

Despite being completely stuffed, we share the popular opinion that there is indeed a separate part of the stomach reserved only for dessert and has managed to make enough room to share a Belgian chocolate brownie (£ 7) . This comes with a dollop of delicious vanilla ice cream and is, again, attractively presented with mouthwatering drizzle of chocolate sauce.

Pitigliano, calm and sober, is an absolute find. Serve freshly prepared cuisine which, considering the quality of the decor, ingredients and service, is very good value for money.

PITIGLIANO, ROUTE MARMION, SOUTH SEA

A message from the editor, Mark Waldron.

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