Sambuca, on Causewayside, is a friendly little local Italian restaurant, serving classic dishes, with the usual panoply of options that’s so often the case with Italian places.

Exterior

I’m rarely in this neck of the woods, so was happy to take the opportunity to give it a whirl, particularly after a long and hectic week.

It’s always good to see a range of soups on offer, so I had a moment or two to consider things before opting for the zuppa pasta e fagioli, to start. I followed with their house pizza, which offered a good mix of meaty toppings.

Zuppa pasta e fagioli

The soup promptly arrived, and was full of interesting bits and bobs, hidden in its depths. The pasta and beans combined well with a well-seasoned broth making this a very satisfying dish.

The pizza wasn’t quite so good. The topping was tasty, but the base was more hard than crisp. It was reminiscent, in this regard, of the pizza I had in Papoli.

Pizza

Service was accurate and welcoming, throughout, making my stay in their simply appointed premises very enjoyable.

So overall, Sambuca is doing a very decent job. Their pizza bases could use a little work, but their soup was very good. I’d happily pop in again, when I’m in the neighbourhood. Perhaps I’ll try one of their pasta dishes, next time.

Scores
Blythe scores Sambuca
3.5/5 for food
3.5/5 for presentation
3/5 for setting
3.5/5 for service
giving an overall 13.5/20

Today’s quester was: Blythe

I ate: pasta e fagioli soup, sambuca pizza

I drank: red wine, white wine, espresso, water

I wore: www.tieclub.co.uk tie

Total bill: £22.25