Latest Review stuart, Feb 6th, 2012

From the moment I stepped inside Stefano’s it was like stepping off the cobbled streets of Rome, Milan, Venice, Firenze, Pisa, Napoli or Palma into an authentic feeling Italian restaurant with a lively atmosphere giving a real feel of Italy.
The restaurant was full of families, couples and friends all enjoying their evening, this added to the traditional family Italian feel and made me and my partner feel really relaxed and comfortable, a great start to our evening!
To start I chose the Capesante which was fresh seared king scallops, on a bed of sweet potato, garnished with crispy Parma ham & rocket pesto. The dish was presented to a high standard and the scallops were to die for, they were cooked to perfection and seasoned with black pepper which added a little kick to the dish. This accompanied with the saltiness of the Parma ham and the rich, smooth sweet potato sent my taste buds into over drive. The pesto which was fresh and vibrant in flavour added another level to the dish and complemented the other variables perfectly.

My partner chose from the vegetarian starter menu which had a wide variety of dishes. She opted for the Tortini di Patate which was a potato cake containing caramelised red onion and wilted spinach with a homemade tomato sauce. The potato cake had a crispy, crunchy coating and was soft and fluffy inside, whilst the caramelised red onion and wilted spinach added both bite and texture to the dish. The tomato sauce was very rustic and authentically Italian with a hint of garlic and basil, this was extremely flavoursome and went with the earthiness of the potato cakes. As vegetarian starters go they are notorious for being quite bland and tasteless, however this dish was truly delicious.

For the main course I selected the Filleto Rossini which was a prime fillet of steak topped with homemade pate and served with a cherry brandy sauce. The fillet was cooked to the way I had requested, medium –rare and was both succulent and tender. The homemade pate which was a combination of chicken livers, herbs and spices was smooth and velvety and melted in the mouth. This was topped off with a very rich, sweet cherry brandy sauce that tied the whole dish together and enhanced the flavour of both the fillet steak and pate.

My partner went for the Pesce, which was the fish of the day – Sea Bream, this came with a choice of two sauces either a tomato and tarragon sauce or a creamy, lemon and dill sauce. I opted for the creamy, lemon and dill sauce which was silky smooth and zesty fresh, this complimented the moist, flaky fish beautifully.


Both main courses were accompanied by a selection of vegetables including seasoned roasted new potatoes, sweet potato mash and courgette fritters with rosemary. The courgette fritters were wonderful and an unusual alternative to the usual peas or carrots. The batter surrounding the courgettes was very light and crispy, similar to that of a tempura batter and were very moreish. The selection surprisingly complemented both dishes well and was a great sharing dish, that brought the whole family together, which is the Italian family way of life.
For dessert I went for the sticky toffee pudding, traditionally a rather heavy dessert. So I was slightly apprehensive with my decision, however when it arrived I was very surprised to find the sponge was the lightest sponge I have ever tasted. Along with the sticky toffee sauce which added to the richness of the dish, it came with a large scoop of vanilla ice cream which complimented the hot sponge and toffee sauce, a great ending to the meal for me!

For dessert my partner went for the limoncello ice cream which was a ball of ice cream coated in meringue pieces and accompanied by a raspberry sauce. The limoncello ice cream was very refreshing and cleansed the palate immediately, this was the perfect choice after the other two courses. The coating of broken meringue pieces added a little sweetness to the dish which counteracted the sharpness of both the lemon and raspberry sauce. I started to eat the dessert and as I plunged my spoon into the centre of the ice cream I was surprised to find a gooey lemon sauce, which was delicious.
All in all Stefano’s was a real taste of Italy, offering a great selection of different dishes to suit everybody’s tastes accompanied with great atmosphere, ambience and a high level of service.