Italian food is one of those cuisines that doesn’t really excite me in any way. I have to admit that I don’t really get it when people rave about Italian cuisine being the best in the world, although that’s not to say I don’t enjoy it. I’m not sure where this touch of insouciance comes from; perhaps it’s due to the familiarity of the cuisine or the fact that most Italian food I’ve eaten is, or at least looks like it is, fairly easy to knock up myself.  Despite my misgivings, I was really looking forward to trying Michelin star Italian, as if this couldn’t persuade me, then presumably nothing could.

 

The location of the restaurant is an area I really should get over to more often, being replete with Michelin star restaurants; not really surprising considering how well to do most of the local residents are. They do seem to be missing a few decent pubs though.

 

 

I chose the endives with pear and gorgonzola dressing to start, whilst Ms P went for the Burrata (a cheese made with Mozzarella & cream) with Caponata (roasted aubergines & tomato). I thought the combination, albeit a classic, of pear, endives & blue cheese did work very well, the slight bitterness of the endives being countered by the sweet pear and creamy gorgonzola sauce, although wasn’t blown away. The Burrata was also a good, simple dish, well conceived and with nothing bad to say about it, but again, not something I would rave about.

 

My pasta dish was up next, Ms P electing to go for the very tempting Pheasant Ravioli with Rosemary as a main. The homemade tagliolini with crab, courgettes and sweet chili I ordered certainly raised the game. The pasta was unlike any I have ever tasted before, being so unbelievably light it could have floated away (although being within arm’s reach, I would have brought it back down to earth pretty smartish, should this unlikely scenario occurred). I probably would have preferred the chili to be of a more potent variety, but that probably would have spoiled the balance of this excellent dish.

 

Already in justified glutton mode, I couldn’t quite go the extra step and order the renowned T-Bone steak, so selected the Kidney of Veal. Based on previous reviews, you may not believe the fact I’m not a big offal fan. However, not having tried many varieties, I have a lot to catch up on, to tend to try and order something different if I’ve never eaten it before (I may have to be strongly persuaded to try anything from the lower intestinal area, though). The kidney of veal was not as strong as other kidneys I have eaten and cooked so well it almost seemed to be bursting out of it’s skin to get to my mouth. I was very impressed with how well it had been cooked and tasted a lot less offally than I’d expected. It was very good full stop. The Pheasant ravioli was better, though. The pasta again wasn’t like anything I’d tasted previously and the pheasant filling almost melt in the mouth.  

 

Starting to wilt a little under the strain of three courses, we decided to share a dessert and Ms P did the honours of selecting the Millefoglie with Chestnut Cream and Rum Ice cream. This was definitely a winner, the crunchy pastry, cream and ice cream combining to make a heavenly mouthful.

 

I very much enjoyed the whole experience at Zafferano and the prices weren’t too over the top, either, at dinnertime being £34.95, £44.95 or £54.95 for 2, 3 or 4 courses respectively. The service was as you’d expect, the staff being knowledgeable about the menu and responsive to requests. But did my experience at Zafferano alter my views on Italian cuisine. Well, probably not. My eyes were definitely opened to how pasta should be made & cooked, but there seems to be a lack of sophistication & depth in Italian food, whilst the simple flavours do not explode the senses. The middle ground is quite stable and perhaps not uneven enough for me to create too much excitement. I will happily and hungrily eat Italian again and again, but if I had the choice over French, Indian, Chinese or Thai, it’s unlikely ever to come top.