Dining out with an Italian

Was Figaro’s magnifico? Find out what pizzaloving Poppy Kennedy thought when she paid a visit.

Figaros, Pickering

An authentic setting with a traditional Italian menu, Figaros is a gem tucked away in the corner of Pickering.

Craving pizza, as always, I headed to the small and friendly restaurant with high hopes following previous visits. Thankfully I wasn’t disappointed.

The restaurant was busy for a Thursday night and it’s popular among locals for it’s flavoursome food and reasonable prices.

Following a traditional theme, the decor compromises a modern twist while capturing the feeling that you’ve just wandered in off the streets of Rome.

For starters I decided to treat myself to the garlic mushrooms in a creamy sauce.

Not overpowering but with a good kick of garlic, it blended perfectly with the creamy sauce. It’s served with crispy cibatta slices which were great for soaking up the left over sauce. In fact I was so impressed with the dish I struggled not to lick my plate clean.

My dining partner, Helen, chose the bruschetta caprese which was topped with tomato, mozzarella, garlic, basil pesto and extra virgin olive oil.

Very impressed with the dish, she said the flavours all worked well together.

There is an extensive list of pastas, pizzas and Italian dishes such as grilled chicken, roast duck breast and slow roasted belly pork.

I went for one of my favourite classics - the pizza pollo alla kiev.

Topped with chicken and mushrooms, the pizza is drizzled with garlic oil.

You can’t complain about portion size and I struggled to finish, in fact the helpful staff boxed up a third of my pizza to take home.

The base was slightly crispy on the outside but remained soft and fluffy. It’s moreish appeal made the crusts just as appetising as the beautifully topped centre. With a rich tomato sauce and melted cheese, which was complimented by the garlic oil, the chicken and mushroom was generously applied.

My only fault is that some of the chicken was a tad dry - but it was a very impressive dish nonetheless. And just as good the next day when I had it for lunch!

Helen treated herself to the calzone alla verdure and she was also impressed with the fluffy dough. The portion was ample and she said the seasonal herbs and vegetables were perfectly cooked inside.

For dessert I chose the Tiramisu. No dish has ever topped my dad’s who makes my favourite version of the Italian classic (perhaps I’m biased) but this did come very close.

A very reasonable portion for £4.90, it blended the rich and cream mascarpone with sponge fingers soaked in coffee liqueur into a truly delightful mouthful.

Figaros is an Italian gem with a friendly, authentic atmosphere and attentive staff. Most importantly the fabulous food perfectly fulfilled my need for pizza.