Strada Market Place

There's no shortage of high street pizza chains in the UK, and they tend to offer a very similar experience in terms of casual dining. However, in my recent experience, the food at Strada does tend to outdo the competition, thanks to the good selection of relatively ‘authentic’ Italian mains in addition to the usual pizza/pasta offerings.

In fact, lunch today at the recently refurbished Market Place restaurant was the best meal I've ever had in one. The service was attentive and the staff happy and accommodating. The napoletana bread basket was an excellent introduction to the meal and extremely generous as were both our mains. The delicate and creamy scallop risotto had a nick chilli kick and a ‘seasonal special’ of pappadelle with duck confit was surprisingly fresh and well seasoned. Sadly, we were too full for dessert.

While the prices are a little higher than any of the offerings from Gondola Holdings (Pizza Express, Zizzi, and Ask), like the others, there always seems to be an offer on at Strada and today's meal was a steal at £7 a head. Don't be fooled into thinking this is just a place for a quick pizza; judging by today's experience, it's certainly worth bearing in mind as a worthy alternative for the likes of Bertorelli.

Usually very reliable if you are looking for unsophisticated Italian that's more exciting than the fare on offer at Pizza Express. I have been to my local in Highgate many times and it has always delivered. Visited this branch in between Xmas and New Year and must have got them on a bad day. The food when it arrived was fine. The key here is in the use of the phrase “when it arrived”. To recall a saying much loved by my mother “my stomach must have thought my throat had been cut”. Lamentably bad service, and still got a frosty look when I lift without tipping. Good for people with time on their hands, bad if you are with a young teenage boy in a rush.