Reviewing Strada in Leamington

I entered a competition on the Strada website to become a restaurant reviewer. To win I simply had to justify why I deserved it – so I directed them to the food section of this very blog! It obviously worked, as I was invited to taste the new season menu with three quests. One review would be asked of me in return – and it got me thinking about how you become a professional food critic. Jennie and I have become obsessed with Masterchef the professionals this year, after overdosing on previous seasons, we had taken a break from it and come back to it fascinated once again. My mind was firmly on fine dining and all things food, so it was good timing.

My nearest Strada is in Leamington Spa, just down the road from our new house in Warwick. My parents have slaved tirelessly to help us buy our first home and move in, with countless baby sitting duties through the turbulent times. So I invited them along for the meal with Jennie and Bella along too.

We booked an early table – 5pm on Saturday so it was very quiet. Our short walk through Leamington was great – the Christmas lights were on all the way up the parade. Christmas shopping has not been a problem this year – with so many amazing little shops in Leamington. The best finds are the awesome vintage shop Barderie and the unlikely but incredible olive oil and balsamic vinegar specialist in the Royal Priors Shopping Centre.

We wheeled Bella’s pram into the restaurant and our waiter took us to a big table with plenty space around it, and even provided what we needed to give Bella her bottle. Bella was full and happy staring at the waiters coming and going – we were off to a good start.

So – on to the food! Before our starter arrived we had Castelvetrano olives which are my all time favourite. These were crisp and sweet, but not as buttery as others I’ve had, but this may be due to previous ones I’ve tried being in more salted oils. The starter then arrived and it was beautiful – hand stretched rosemary flatbreads that were fluffy and crispy with a platter of antipasti to share. We had Parma ham, Napoli salami, Trentino speck ham, mozzarella and tomatoes and crispy bruschetta. My favourite was the black olive tapenade which was rich and tasty.

Onto the next course – pasta, pizza and risotto.

The pasta dish was Strozzapreti Pugliese which was simple and stunning. Fresh, meaty, al dente twisted pasta (which I think is made in house – at least it was in the Birmingham one.) This was dressed in a chilli butter with sliced sausage, pancetta and broccoli – cooked perfectly to have the same slight bite as the pasta.

The pumpkin, squash, spinach and pine nut risotto had the pancetta removed to make it vegetarian for Jennie, and it was rich and smooth. The pizza was Quattro stagioni – and a fine example with great chunks of chestnut mushrooms, spicy Luganica sausage, ham and a personal fave – roasted artichoke. Served on a perfectly crisps thin base it had the slight edge on our homemade efforts.

Onto the fish and meat! The next two dishes were the showstoppers – a whole sea bream seasoned with lemon and thyme, served with green beans and slices of roasted new potatoes. This was simple and refreshing – exactly how good fish should be cooked. The other dish I thought initially was rose veal because it was light in colour and sweet, but looking at the menu later it was ‘Saltimbocca Maiale’ pork fillet with crispy parma ham wrapped around. This was sat on bed of smooth mashed potato, green beans and covered in sage butter. The whole shabang was rich, hearty and hard not to finish, even though desert looked as epic as the other courses.

The first dessert Affogato looked stunning – a generous scoop of nougat semi freddo ice cream in an oval bowl, with an espresso shot to pour over it, so that it pooled below and slowly mixed as it melted the ice cream.

The second also contrasted two different elements perfectly. Pannacotta style set custard made with chocolate, hazelnuts and crushed Amaretti biscuits was served with a splash of amaretto.

Silkly pistachio gelato came last, which was the perfect palate cleanser to end the meal.

Service was friendly and attentive, with each course arriving as the last was finished.

All in all the new menu is up to Strada’s high standards, with a few new stand out options to try.