2 /5 Andrew Hall: Ok, its Twixmas and it might be a post-Christmas lull but this really wasnt a pleasant experience. I dont mind paying good money but this was way overpriced for what we were served.
Ill start with the good - a decent Soave with fresh apple and almond notes. The waitress was very polite and the ambience was cosy.
Onto the bad - a paltry starter of Padron peppers was poor. Sparse and underdone, and at a princely sum of ÂŁ9.90! Sorry, the Spanish know how to cook these far better.
My wifes goats cheese starter fared better. The cheese was pleasantly on the milder side but the beetroot felt like it came out of a jar. The token pieces of orange were a great contrast but the lack of this ingredient meant it yielded nothing.
A ÂŁ9 garlic focaccia was ok but simply not worth it!
Onto the mains. The vegetarian risotto was pleasant, fresh and minty. However, my wifes prawn linguine was poor. Although the linguine was cooked beautifully there was no chilli or garlic, not even a hint.
Our daughters Margherita was well received, although a tad too salty.
We looked at the desserts but they were way overpriced. Almost ÂŁ13 for a tiramisu or cheesecake was simply a stretch too far.
As nice as our waitress was, our drinks werent kept topped up nor were we told about the specials of the day, if there were any.
We really wanted to enjoy this restaurant and support a local business, but it simply didnt deliver for us on this occasion. For the prices I just cant recommend it, sorry.
As far as Havering goes Id suggest Da Vincis for good Italian food or the Aviary for a wider variety of simply excellent dishes.