Pasta Primavera Pasta Primavera

Fresh pasta with seasonal vegetables, tossed in a light garlic and olive oil sauce.

Gastronomica

Gastronomica

45 Tachbrook Street, London, SW1V2LZ, SW1V 2LZ, United Kingdom

Meat • Delis • Pasta • Coffee


"Had breakfast at Gastronomica in Pimlico, a cafe/deli that advertises itself quite rightly as Piemonte in Pimlico. Actually Gastronomica is a lot more that just this one cafe/deli. They have several market stalls (including one at Borough Market) and another couple of cafes in Wapping and Manchester as well as a wholesale food business. The cafe in the heart of Pimlico is not that pretty from the outside, as it is located in an unattractive red brick block of shops behind a rather garish red awning. Inside it is much more attractive, the Cafe area consists of a couple of large wooden tables and a few smaller ones, surrounded by shelves of Italian Wine and cabinets full of wonderful meats and cheese. The menu is quite small, mainly Italian sandwiches, cheese and meat boards and salads, but everything looks really good. My breakfast was just a simple ham and cheese tostado, served with a really good cup of coffee. They also had a selection of cakes, which were inviting enough for me to want to make a return visit to try them along with another cup of that coffee. It's always good to find an alternative to the ubiquitous Starbucks and Cafe Nero coffee shops. This place captures the best of Italy. It's very laid back, I particularly liked the way they went off menu to please a family that just wanted toast and jam for their kids. You definitely don't see that in Starbucks."

Zizzi

Zizzi

10 Charles Street, BD1 1EJ, Bradford, United Kingdom

Pizza • Pasta • Vegan • Italian


"I fell into this oasis of calm and culinary delight after a hectic day at the Bradford Literature Festival and badly needing rest and refreshment. It did not disappoint. The restaurant has a tucked-away feel about it, despite being in the city centre shopping area, and is pleasantly different from the plethora of fast food outlets. You could book here for a special meal out, but I just dropped in early without having booked. The decor is simple outdoor-indoor, with just a slightly rustic feel, very clean and quite spacious for somewhere that is not huge. It has an intimate, private feel about it. The staff were amazing! (Special thanks to Laura, who put up with all my questions and chatter. Lovely friendly, patient, helpful and cheerful service throughout. That alone will make me return very soon. (PS I already have! The food I had was absolutely fine throughout. Free nibbles were first brought in a bowl, while my pizza was being prepared. (Margherita, with artichokes! I try to eat vegan/veggie as much as possible. Zizzi does cater for gluten-free diets as well. Because I have a singular sweet tooth, I ordered a Twisted Affogato for dessert. 3 x vanilla ice cream, amaretti biscuits, a shot of Aluna coffee liqueur and an espresso included. The liqueur was so lovely, I ordered another to accompany my coffee, which I upgraded to a latte. So it's an all-round heartfelt recommendation from this diner!"