Nottingham NG1 5FB
The range of pubs and eateries on Derby road and up by the Canning Circus area of Nottingham seems to have been improving over the last couple of years, and i was keen to try one of the only independent Italian restaurant Nottingham has to offer, Amarone.
On first impressions its decor was far from the typical cosy Italian you might usually expect, all high backed leather chairs and cream walls, with handwritten chalkboards and muted lighting decorating the room.
As it was a week night the restaurant wasn't very busy so it lacked a little atmosphere, but our waitress seemed very pleasant and helpful.
As always my dining partner for the evening was my boyfriend James, and we decided on starters of 'Deep fried Calamari with Lemon Napoli Sauce' and 'Tallegio and Leek Tartler with Cream and Chive Sauce'
When the calamari arrived the batter on the squid looked a little lumpy and dark and on first taste was not as hot or crisp, as i would have liked. I also didn't really enjoy the combination of the tomato sauce with the squid and would have prefered a nice sharp mayonaise. It wasn't that the tomato sauce was bad, in fact it had a nice flavour, i just don't think it suited this particular dish.
Unfortunately i do not have a picture of the Tallegio tart as not a lot of it remained on the plate by the time i remembered to photograph it. This starter, however,proved a lot more successful, it comes highly rated by James.
There is a good choice of main meals available, and i liked that it wasn't just the usual pizza, pastas and risottos you might normally be met with when reading an Italian menu. I decided to go for 'Mediterranean Lamb Stew, Herb Dumplings and Crusty Home-made Bread' ( i am a sucker for dumplings) and James had 'Pork Loin, Fig & Prosciutto Sauce with Lyonnais Potatoes'
When the plates arrived i was impressed with the presentation of the dishes especially the pork. The stew had lovely pieces of slow cooked lamb in that just came apart as you forked through the dish, along with some nicely cooked baby potatoes and carrots and squash. The sauce itself was lovely and rich,you could tell it has all been cooked down properly and not just made in the last 20 minutes. However, being a big dumpling fan, i was a little disappointed at the small amount on the dish and would have definately have appreciated a more generous offering. The bread was a suprise highlight, i'm not sure how 'homemade' it really was but it tasted good and was lovely dipped into the rich tomato sauce. So, now over to the pork, which James and i both agreed,had a great smoked taste to it, but had been overcooked, and was therefore a bit of a nightmare to chew through. What a shame, as the flavours were very good, and the fig sauce and potatoes all worked well together.
On to the final, and nearly always the highlight of the evening, the dessert. I was spoilt for choice by Amarones dessert menu, and would have happily had a bit of all of them. However i decided on Chocolate Truffle Cake with vanilla ice cream and James went for Apple and Almond Tart with Creme Anglaise, (which is basically a posh word for custard).
Price without taste card promotion £45.50. Final price with reduction £23.25.
UPDATE! AMARONE HAS NOW CLOSED AS OF JAN 2011
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