All reader reviews by JRS
Ciao Bella
Absolutely delightful: great, unpretentious Italian food and good wine in cosy surroundings, with good, friendly service, and reasonable prices. If I lived in the area, I would be a very regular guest.
Ciao Bella is the first Italian trattoria style restaurant I have been to in England that lives up to the "authentic" moniker.
For more sophisticated, Italian fine dining, try Montpeliano in Knightsbridge -excellent, but too expensive for most occasions.
For a good, solid Italian meal that does not break the bank, however, Ciao Bella is by far the best place I have tried in the UK. Very highly recommended.
Sunday, March 04, 2007
Overall rating 
Food 8 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 10
Montpeliano
My girlfriend and I had dinner here on her birthday a couple of weeks ago. Her fond memories of a previous visit, along with the splendid reviews on this site, meant we went with very high expectations indeed. Montpeliano fulfilled them all.
The service was impeccable and attentive, and delivered with a professional intimation of familiarity that made me feel more like a regular in an Italian family restaurant than a first-time visitor to an expensive London eatery.
We both had a delicious lobster soup starter, followed by a simply fantastic Fillet Rossini, cooked to perfection from top quality meat that melted on the tongue - one of the best steaks I have ever had. The Tiramisu I had for dessert was, likewise, superb.
The £140 bill bought us a starter and main course each, plus a shared dessert and coffee; a glass each of Italian bubbly whilst perusing the menu; still water; and a very nice bottle of Sicilian red at around £26. As a pleasant surprise, when the bill came, we were told the generous pourings of grappa and limoncello were on the house.
Whilst it was on the expensive side, the quality was absolutely top-notch. And, for such a memorable evening, definitely worth it.
Sunday, March 04, 2007
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
