"Excellent food, lovely people, so relaxed. We first came years ago, visiting friends in Middlesborough (came from Bolton) and couldn’t find anywhere open to eat, then we followed our noses (and the heavenly scent of garlic) and found our favourite restaurant. We tell everyone...about it! Tonight we returned on our final night of a stay in Saltburn. We booked and travelled the min journey to eat at this gorgeous corner of Italy hidden away in the town. There weren’t many people in with it being mid-week but there was a steady stream of deliveries being collected (oh to live close enough for that and a gentleman eating at the bar. Really felt authentic. I love that this place has none of the pretentiousness you find in some places. The welcome is always warm, you never feel rushed, and nothing is too much if you have a question, ask it. You’ll feel like you’re chatting to old friends. The host (Rosetta) made us feel like the kitchen was cooking just for us and the waitress (who we remembered from last time too) was so warm and friendly. I had the antipasti starter wow! What an impressive collection of fresh flavours. See the pic! So simple but so tasty. My mum wolfed down the pâté with chunky rounds of gorgeous baguette toasts, and our friend had the potato skins. The waitress commented we had ordered good sharing options but we were each very protective of our plates! Mains came and they were equally as fantastic. I had the pizza Elianos Parma ham, rockette, Parmesan, fresh basil, and added olives. The crust looked thick at the edges but it was light, and thin beneath the toppings: just perfect. My mum loved her pasta dish with chicken in a spicy tomato sauce; there wasn’t much evidence there had been anything in the bowl when she was done! Our friend ordered the lasagne. Having sampled many, and judged whether she would return to a restaurant based on its quality, she is quite a critical diner. She loved it. The part she couldn’t manage, she boxed up and her daughter had eaten it within ten minutes of it crossing the threshold! We ended our evening with a chat with our host, smiling and content. We left with our tummies and our hearts satisfied. We can’t wait to come back!"
