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United Kingdom Food Guide: 6 Mediterranean food Must-Eat Restaurants & Street Food Stalls in Bidford-on-Avon
Reviews on Mediterranean food in Bidford-on-Avon, United Kingdom including Veeno, El Greco, Sorrento Restaurant ... a taste of Italy, Mida Mediterranean Coffee House & Restaurant, Bella Italia, Ask Italian Stratford-upon-Avon
6. Ask Italian Stratford-upon-Avon
Overall Ratings
4 based on 225 reviews
A warm welcome from the friendly ASK Italian team awaits you in Stratford-Upon-Avon.Our quintessentially Italian menu will tempt you with classic dishes alongside contemporary signatures, from fresh pasta to Alto base pizzas, salads, meat and fish to show
Reviewed By Propaganda_Machine
Weâve eaten dinner here four times over the past month or so and on each occasion have had a wonderful meal. The first good point is the menu, which is Italian-themed (I know, the clue is in the restaurant name) but is much more than just the âusualâ pizza and pasta dishes: there is a wide selection of dishes and more importantly ingredient combinations, many of which you wonât have seen elsewhere., for example purple basil pesto Genovese (green beans and pine nuts), beef brisket Bolognese (brisket, chianti and ragu) or crab & ricotta with pasta and samphire. I normally hope to see 2, maybe 3, dishes in each section of a menu that I want to order but here, well you are spoilt for choice and find yourself saying âwow, look at thatâ¦but then thereâs thatâ¦oh and what about thatâ. There is plenty of choice with many very appetising sounding dishes, so top marks for whoever put the menu together.There is clearly smart commercial acumen at work as several of the ingredients crop up in more than one dish, most notably the outstanding ragu that I counted as a core component of at least four main courses. The ragu itself is gorgeous: pork & beef mince, thick & unctuous but not overly flavoured or bulked up with cheap tomato. By including it in many of the dishes the place can maintain portion control and GP while still providing choice.To date weâve eaten the Stromboli and salami misti pizzas, beef brisket Bolognese, fettuccine Bolognese and the rigatoni al manzo piccante. All of them have been well-prepared with good quality ingredients and fresh pasta. Both of the Bolognese dishes stood out because of the meaty ragu Iâve already mentioned and the rigatoni was a delight, having been oven-baked so the mozzarella had melted onto the meatballs and the whole of the upper surface of the dish was starting to crisp up beautifully. However, the absolute star dish (well so far, at least) was the linguine carbonara. One of my maxims of quality for any restaurant is order a staple, simple dish and see how well they cook and serve it. Usually this would be something like a burger (think how many restaurants you've eaten it where the burger was bland in the extreme) but at ASK Italian it was the carbonara. It's a simple dish but one that is difficult to execute brilliantly, with too many restaurants using too much water in the sauce or coming up with a carbonara that is far too sweet or salty. The carbonara here was bordering on the sublime, with a near perfect ratio of pasta to sauce so the latter a little more than coated the former. The panchetta was smoked but not overly salty, helping to create - in my partner's own words - "one of, if not the, best carbonaras I have ever eaten".Apparently this particular location has its own pasta chef and their skills are clear to see in the consistency and taste of the pasta that is served.The garlic bread special with balsamic onions is an ideal sharing starter, being essentially a pizza base filled with caramelised onions and mozzarella that has been folded over like a calzone and oven-baked; a lovely crisp exterior and melted interior. The dessert element of the menu is as appealing as the rest of it, with a number of tempting dishes; the honeycomb cheesecake is superb but there are also enticing sounding desserts such as chocolate gnocchi, white chocolate swirl, salted caramel gelato and warm pear tart.The drinks list is also noteworthy, with the Italian angioletti rose cider being well worthy ordering and the primitivo being very easy drinking and bursting with flavour. Itâs also good to see the wines available by 500ml carafes, as well as small & large glasses and bottle. On each occasion weâve been there, the service has been friendly, prompt and attentive. Watching the staff at work, they look like they are enjoying what they do, with lots of smiling and conversation going on between them. This positivity is reflected in the overall dining experience, as it really is a pleasant place not just to go to eat but to be while you eat.Specific mention has to go to Zuzanna, who has a voice that is musical with her enthusiasm and passion for what she does. Also to Vasil who manages to weave irony & wit into his service delivery but most respect goes to Iliya (which I hope Iâve spelt correctly and apologies if not): on one occasion my partnerâs pizza was served with an ingredient she had asked to have taken off. Not because of any intolerance, just because she doesnât like it. The issue was that the ingredients list used by the kitchen was different to those stated on the menu, so it was a mistake that was always going to happen at some point. We were fine about it but Iliya immediately offered to cook another pizza, without hesitation. We said it was absolutely fine and my partner said she would take the ingredient off herself. Iliya could have left it at that with his apology but when we eventually received the bill, he had taken the dish off because it was a mistake that shouldnât have happened. In many other restaurants this could have played out very differently and Iâm sure many readers will have found themselves in a similar situation, where failure to resolve a small issue conflates into a bigger one. Here it was resolved straight away and thanks to Iliya for showing how to meet â and exceed â customer expectations as well as deliver service excellence.The bill â dinner for two in the form of a shared starter, main course each, one or two sides, shared dessert, large bottle of water, ciders & carafe of wine â was in the region of £55 - £60, allowing for the various dishes weâve had on each visit. Thatâs not bad value, OK itâs great value, for such enjoyable food, attentive service and pleasant environment.Apparently, there are various âgradesâ of ASK Italian and this is one of only a small number of premium locations. This means the décor is slightly different and possibly the menu more expansive. Yes, it also means that the prices are almost certainly higher but if the overall experience is as good as it is here, you are getting more for your money and, as above, receiving great value for money. Perhaps with this in mind, affinity programs such as Tastecard, arenât accepted here and I have to say, I have no issue with this: the net result is you end up with people who are perhaps more discerning because they arenât getting 2 for 1 on every course. Whether or not this filtered through into the atmosphere I donât know but I do know that on every occasion weâve eating there, there has been a very pleasant, relaxed and contented vibe from the place. Overall this really is a good place to eat and highly recommended.Thanks for reading.
United Kingdom Food Guide: 10 Bar food Must-Eat Restaurants & Street Food Stalls in Bidford-on-Avon
5. Bella Italia
Overall Ratings
4 based on 841 reviews
Bella Italia in Stratford upon Avon boasts an enviable location, close to the famous Anne Hathaway's cottage and just down the road from Harvard House. Perfect for a pre-theatre dinner or a break from taking in all of the wonderful sights of the birthplac
Reviewed By Samfireman
Came here Tuesday before heading to the cinema, had a voucher giving 40% discount of main course.The service from the girls was fantastic along with fabulous food a very enjoyable and relaxing meal.So with discount, G and T, coke and two main courses £23.00 what more could you ask for.Thank you Bella
4. Mida Mediterranean Coffee House & Restaurant
Overall Ratings
4 based on 701 reviews
Reviewed By Louise C
My husband and I visited the coffee house this weekend. The coffee is very good and the gentleman who served us was polite and welcoming. We went inside the cafe which is wonderfully adorned with lots of great curiosities. Well worth a visit.
3. Sorrento Restaurant ... a taste of Italy
Overall Ratings
4 based on 1145 reviews
Family run,independent, Award winning Italian Restaurant est 1984 -35yrs! Open Tues - Sat Lunch and Dinner. Menu 2 course £17.90. Offering a taste of Italy to the historic town of Stratford-upon-Avon, al fresco in summer, Wine £3.20 Per 125ml glass/ £4.60
Reviewed By MelKillen
We ate here for my husbands birthday. The welcome was warm and friendly and the table we were given was perfect. The wines on offer were very good. I had a couple of seafood dishes which were gorgeous, the prawns are the largest iâve ever had. The only disappointing element was my husbands lasagna was dry, he didnât really enjoy it. But everything else was very nice.
2. El Greco
Overall Ratings
4 based on 2232 reviews
Reviewed By hanc29
This place is fab. Eight of us came here for a birthday dinner on a busy Saturday night.The service was wonderful, all of the staff were super friendly, helpful and really joined in with the spirit of birthday. The food was excellent, we had the mezze menu for all of us, it was so much food and all delicious! Great value at £25pp. The drinks menu is substantial and the staff really know when we were ready to party. The Greek dancing at the end of the night was fab, and even taking a shot off the floor! So much fun.
1. Veeno
Overall Ratings
4 based on 299 reviews
Reviewed By nikcid
Truly authentic, rustic, Italian and Sicilian food in Stratfords only proper wine bar.Terrific, comprehensive range of wines - in every taste, and price.Great tasting room experience, without price shocks.Atmosphere and ambience of a Mediterranean bar, with food. Really fresh Caciocavallo, grand Aubergine Stew, and, Oh! so authentic beef and veal meatballs, in tomato, oreganoand olive sauce. Made extra special with topping of Tellegio cheese.No downside to this great find, even 3 draught lagers, and a ' yankee ' I. P. A. for beer lovers !
