Giusto

David T. (Over 60, Male, United Kingdom)

Arrived a few minutes late, to find a parking space directly outside. Very unpromising from the outside, since the ground floor was empty, except for a bored-looking waitress behind a counter at the far end. Apart from the fact that the inside was lighted, the only indication that it was open were a couple of boards outside. When we entered, the waitress brightened up and directed us to the stairs to the lower floor. Her English was not good enough to understand that we had a reservation!

However, once below all changed. The large room, which had been cleverly broken up into several smaller areas, was probably more than half full. After a minor debate between a waiter and one who appeared to be in charge, we were shown to a table which had been set for 3.

We were immediately given menus (nothing like the one appearing on the restaurant’s website) and a wine list, and I ordered a glass of a white wine whose name I did not recognise and which I have now forgotten (it appears on the bill as “white wine – £7” and was the most expensive served by the glass). It was palatable, but rather crude to my taste. My wife managed to get in her request for a jug of water, but the waitress put her off when she tried to add her other stuff.

However, when the guy seemingly in charge came to take the order, he was unfazed by her request for things including a green salad immediately, and they did, indeed, turn up pretty nearly immediately.

I ordered prosciutto to start, followed by steak and a side of roast potatoes. My wife ordered scallops and then what was described as a lamb stew with celeriac mash. My wife asked for the mash to be replaced by roast potatoes, a request immediately granted. I also ordered the second most expensive red wine on the list, another one whose name I did not recognise and which I have now forgotten (it appears on the bill as “red wine – £46”). It was vintage 1999. I was warned that this would be the last bottle.

That bottle soon appeared, with two good sized glasses and an elegant decanter. The waiter gave me a little to taste and then suggested that he decant it and leave it to breathe while I finished the white. This was the last time any of the staff touched the wine, which was fine by me and far more acceptable than those establishments where the wine is put out of reach and then forgotten by the staff. The wine was good and rather more mellow than many Italians.

Our starters turned up quickly. Mine consisted of 4 generous slices of ham, slightly moister than much prosciutto I have had, and none the worse for that. It was accompanied by a small pile of grated cheese (parmesan?) and a pile of rocket, dressed with something acid. The ham was better than expected – the rest a bit ho hum. My wife said her scallops were good.

Mains took a little longer… More