REVIEW: La Storia in West Bridgford
A FEW months after this family-run Italian restaurant opened its doors in Musters Road West Bridgford, Nottingham blogger Alec Frusher of Frusher On Food paid them a visit and he wasn’t too complimentary.
Well I decided to see what has happened to the restaurant in those intervening two years.
First of all it looks really pretty from the outside with all the twinkling lights and red checked tablecloths. I could be somewhere on the Amalfi coast if it wasn’t for the Number 6 bus going into town.
The staff were really friendly and welcoming and seated us in the side extension, all rustic brick and vines.
I remember looking at this place when it first opened but as a vegetarian and now vegan a “traditional” Italian restaurant didn’t often have great options.
But how times have changed because I am presented with a separate vegan menu and it looks very appetising indeed.
I had the choice of four starters, mains and desserts and felt spoilt for choice.
After much deliberation I opted for the melon with flaked almonds and balsamic glaze. It was fresh and light, the perfect way to start a meal.
After a suitable wait my main dish arrived – Melanzane fritte napolenane (breadcrumbed fried stuffed aubergine).
It looked as good as it tasted; the aubergine was really well cooked making it soft and buttery which melted in the mouth and was served with a fennel and rocket salad. It was a very pleasing portion but not so large that I felt stuffed which was good because I was already looking at the dessert menu.
If you’ve ever eaten out with a vegan you will be familiar with their excitement at finding a pudding option that isn’t sorbet, so imagine how I felt when I had four options.
Realistically there was only going to be one winner and that was the chocolate and hazelnut semifredo. It was amazingly rich and smooth and chocolately. Delicious.
And for those interested in non-vegan options my other half thoroughly enjoyed his crab bruschetta and monkfish main.
The restaurant has a lovely atmosphere, the staff are the right side of attentive and the tables are a decent distance away from each other.
The prices are probably a bit more than I would usually pay; £6.50 for my starter, £13.50 for main course and £6.50 for that indulgent pud.
I would hope that if Alec visited again he would have a more positive experience. For me the whole meal was a pleasure to be repeated.
■■ For healthy eating advice from Susan visit her blog at nutritioncoach.co.uk.