Food & Drink

Pizza the action

The glowing reviews of flat, properly crunchy pizza bases and fresh homemade ingredients had us chomping at the bit (quite literally) to review Portobello Ristorante Pizzeria. The menu is classically Italian, with antipasti starters and a good selection of pizzas and pastas. There are other mains options for the more carnivore led, but we say stick to staples.

Proper ciabatta moist with olive oil quickly disappeared before a tuna carpaccio came fairly slapping on the plate, complete with rocket salad and cherry tomatoes. A zucchini alla scapece was less successful: lashings of seemingly raw garlic and limp, cold, fried zucchini slices on a bed of lettuce.

The spaghetti vongole redeemed, perfectly al dente and rammed with fresh clams, but with a chilli hit that possibly overwhelmed what should be the stronger overtones of garlic. A montanara pizza was up next, resplendent with sliced potatoes, homemade sausage, fresh mozzarella, cherry tomatoes and large basil leaves endemic to southern Italian cooking, and was as delicious as fervently hoped.

Desserts included a torta caprese with chocolate ice cream, while a bottle of Montepulciano D’abruzzo helped wash down the courses, as did a couple of glasses of Vina Santo. Salute!