Terranostra Cucina Italiana
our review
Sometimes it seems as if the whole City is in a permanent state of being dug up, the noise and the dust seem omnipresent even on a wet cold day like today. Poor old Terranostra is situated bang opposite a giant building site, but get through the door and the horrors are behind you and only good things lie ahead. Inside the décor has not gone for ‘big pepper mill’ style Italian, nor fine dining, just simple all the way down to paper napkins, but it’s a restraint that suits this unassuming but finely focussed Sardinian restaurant.
We shared a platter of fish: cured tuna, tuna tartare, baby stuffed squid, swordfish carpaccio and anchovies and it was very good indeed, a credit to the suppliers and chef’s standards, our only regret being that the carta de musica each tasty treat was perched on delivered a bit too much salt. I think I’d have preferred ordinary bread.
Pasta course generally kept the standard up – my Lorighitas (Sardinian ring shaped pasta) were nicely immersed in a decent pesto, but the latter rather overwhelmed the advertised scallops and aubergines which were a bit hard to find to be honest, even allowing for the natural tiny nature of queen scallops. Pasta parcels with spinach and prawns in a ‘spicy’ seafood sauce were good little mouthfuls though and were pretty filling too. Robust and hearty and hitting the lunchtime spot with a bulls eye.
Mains, normally a bit of a hit and miss affair in Italian restaurants, here were good and simple, no fancy sauces nothing to take away from the main flavours. Rack of lamb was spot on; fine quality meat oven roasted and sat on a small bed of sautéed potatoes and broccoli. A tad overcooked for the eater, who likes his lamb pretty much raw, but the pink centre was exactly right for the normal eater.
My charcoal grilled sausage had a outdoorsy smoky flavour and also came with broccoli and sautéed potatoes, but nothing wrong with that especially as the broccoli was tender yet still perfectly al dente and had picked up extra flavours along the line, possibly from being cooked in a light stock or being pan-finished. Both were fine, simple dishes that made the most of the ingredients and didn’t attempt to ponce about and drown out the core ingredients.
Regular readers will know that I rarely eat dessert having a bit of a horror of sweet things, but the tiramisu looked suitably decadent and I was happy having a grappa instead.
Terranostra definitely has its heart in the right place; in its stomach. The exterior may not be all that inviting but the cooking certainly is and all in all it offers a very safe bet for an uncomplicated but highly enjoyable meal. I could go here regularly and there aren’t many places you can say that about.
Nick Harman - December 2007
your comments review this restaurant and win a bottle of champagne
It is all delicious and the atmosphere is really nice. I enjoyed it and with my friends we have returned there the next day and we ll go again and again. Each time we have something different and it is all good! For the high quality of the traditional sardinian food the price is too good. It is not expensive at all!
Comment on this reader review
Eli Cit
Overall rating 
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
