Review of 'Romazzino'

Having lived in Nantwich for more than six months we have noticed the rather understated, but sleek looking Italian restaurant “Romazzino” as we pass on the narrow pavement on Main Street towards Welsh Row. It always seems to be packed and looks quite different than the other restaurants of the town - A bit nicer, perhaps? Or just a bit more stylish and modern? We were determined to give it a go and so we did early on a Friday night, lucky that we were able to get a table.

Interior

The interior is, indeed, quite stylish with a bar at the front of the restaurant, tables throughout and booths along the wall. The kitchen is at the back visible to diners on the mezzanine back there.

Kitchen

We were seated in a booth for four by a very friendly waiter who welcomed us very fondly and bid us relax and order when we were ready. The six-page a la carte menu is typically Italian, divided into “Bread & Nibbles”, “Starters” “Sharing Platters”, “Paste & Risotti”, “Salads”, “Mains”, “Sauces”, “Sides”, “Pizza” and a small “Children's Menu” with “Starters” and “Mains” followed by a “Vegan Menu” which has “Bread & Nibbles”, “Starters”, “Mains” and “Pizza”. So, the menu seems to want to be all things to all people but, to be fair, there are not a huge number of choices and looking at the state of my well-thumbed menu it is much appreciated…every page. Prices appear to be fairly reasonable.

There was also a small daily specials menu on the table (which was not pointed out to us) with a single special for each course. The drinks menu was fairly modest with a nice assortment of non-alcoholic and non-soft drinks which I (as a non-drinker) appreciated.

Pane

To start we had the “Pane” from “Breads & Nibbles” - “Puglian bread with olive oil and balsamic [vinegar]” (£4.50) - which was quite tasty with a truly rich olive oil and a rather gentle balsamic vinegar. The bread was deliciously crunchy on the outside and quite firm and chewy on the inside. A good sized portion as well.

Squid

A sucker for squid I had to try the “Calamari” from “Starters” - “Salt and pepper calamari deep fried coated in semolina and served with a smoked roast garlic, lemon and herb mayo” (£8.90). The calamari was not overcooked though I did not really catch too much of the “salt and pepper” in the description but the coating was nice and crunchy. I did not detect any hint of smokiness in the dip but it was delicious nonetheless.

Ravioli

For our mains we were both in the mood for pasta so I chose the “Ravioli al Brasato” from “Paste & Risotti” - “Ravioli filled with parmesan and ricotta cheese tossed with braised brisket of beef, sage and butter sauce, finished with garlic herb crumb” (£15.00). This was incredibly rich with the pasta, surprisingly, holding its own against the large quantity of brisket on the plate. With the boldness of the meat I detected none of the sage in the sauce but certainly noticed the butter. This was incredibly filling.

Carbonara

My companion loves carbonara so ordered it here, “Linguine Carbonara” - “Smoked Italian pancetta fried and tossed with linguine then finished with cream, egg yolks, parmesan and black pepper (£12.00 plus another £4.00 for chicken). It was a massive bowl and extremely tasty with the pasta perfectly al dente and the sauce, rich and creamy.

When the pasta was delivered we were offered pre-ground parmesan, as might be expected, but slightly disappointing it was not fresh.

Mural

At £58 for the two of us including a bottle of sparkling water (£4.50), a glass of wine (£4.60) and non-alcoholic drink (£4.50) it was not too expensive. We were not able to even look at the dessert menu (which does, I gather, feature tiramisu) as we were so full, but happily so. The staff were very relaxed (despite running around a lot) and never pressured us into anything. It might get quite noisy when busy in the crowded interior.

We really enjoyed our visit and will likely be back. Friendly staff, reasonable prices.

Rating: “Nearly perfect, but not quite”

Review Date: 2022-09-23


Cuisine: Italian

Address: 0 High St, Nantwich, Cheshire CW5 5AR ENGLAND

Location: Cheshire (England) - Nantwich

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Telephone: +44 (0) 1270 619100

URL: https://romazzino.co.uk/