Review: Restaurant Italia Plus at the Coquetvale Hotel, Rothbury

For such a small place Rothbury has a surprising number of places to eat and drink and a good variety of cuisine to choose from. There are plenty of pubs, an Indian restaurant, an Italian restaurant and a variety of cafes and tearooms. On this occasion we decided it was time to revisit Restaurant Italia Plus at the Coquetvale Hotel which is located just a short distance from the River Coquet. We visited on a Thursday evening and received a warm welcome from the staff behind the bar who asked if we had booked a table. To be honest we hadn't considered booking, but fortunately they were able to squeeze us in provided that we were able to vacate our table by 8pm. As we had arrived early (approx 6.15pm) we thought this would be no problem and as we were to soon find out, Restaurant Italia Plus is certainly a popular place to dine. The interior is unexpectedly grand to say the least with it's high ceilings, beautiful cornicing and softly lit intimate atmosphere. First impressions are really important and it would be difficult not to be pleased with the stylish look and feel of the restaurant and the friendliness of the welcome.

Potato Skins Starter (£3.95)

We were given our menus and the special 'early bird' offer was explained, if you order your main course between 5pm and 6.30pm the price you pay is the time you order! We didn't know about the offer in advance so quickly made up our minds, there was still plenty to choose from on this menu. Starters ranged from £1.95 to around £3.95 which we all agreed seemed extremely reasonable, we chose the home-made soup, potato skins and the pate between us. Our drinks arrived £14 for a bottle of Pinot Grigio and £3.40 for a bottle of Peroni (sampled just to keep the Italian feel, of course...). The starter portions were generous and was pretty much exactly what we expected from the description on the menu.

Fresh Soup Starter (£2.95)

The potato skins were just that (not hollowed out jacket potatoes, thankfully!) with a good serving of dipping sauces and a light side salad. The fresh home-made soup was tasty and looked really quite appealing and the pate's proportions were well beyond it's £3.45 price tag. All starters were readily consumed and while they didn't deliver a huge amount of style or delicacy they were definitely flavoursome, delicious and extremely good value for money. By now the restaurant was almost packed to capacity with a really diverse clientèle - a 70th birthday family celebration on one table, lots of couples and a teenagers birthday meal on another. It all made for a bustling atmosphere without ever being too lively to overwhelm conversation.

After a brief wait it was on to the main event and we had chosen to sample: Pizza Pepperoni (Pepperoni sausage, chilli oil, red onion, grated mozzarella), Pollo Piccante (Roasted chicken breast with chorizo, roasted peppers, garlic and spicy tomato sauce) and Costada di Manzo al Diane (6oz rib-eye steak with sauce of mushrooms, French mustard, red wine and cream). All were priced at £6.25 as we ordered at, you guessed it 6.25pm and came with a choice of vegetables, chips or salad.

Pizza Pepperoni

I had the pizza and what can I say? It was a taste sensation, honestly one of the best pizzas I have had since sampling the world famous Lombardi's in New York's Little Italy, Americas first pizzeria. It was what was done differently here that made it so special, the red onions were slowly caramelised, not fresh and sharp which married with the flavour of the pepperoni beautifully. The light touch of chilli oil gave a bite that was softened by the herbs and creamy mozzarella, it is just a glorious combination of flavours that was bang on the mark. I am somewhat of a pizza fanatic so this is high praise indeed! Our other main courses were also very well executed including a very moist chicken breast with a rich tomato sauce and a steak cooked with precision, exactly as ordered.

By now we were approaching 7.45pm and we were very aware that we had agreed to leave our table by 8pm. We were asked if we would like to order a dessert and questioned whether or not we would have the time with the member of waiting staff. The lady who looked like she was in charge came over to us and said she had re-arranged the tables to accommodate us, should we wish to take our time over dessert. This was a lovely gesture and we decided to order just one dessert to share between us as the rest of the meal had been so substantial.

We opted for the Pear and Basil Tarte Tatin which was actually turned out to be the low point of the meal. We needn't have worried about the proportion of the dessert and the flavour was overpowered almost completely by the use of herbs. Add into this a slightly undercooked pastry base and I wasn't exactly enthralled by the end to our meal. My dining companion on the other hand said she thoroughly enjoyed it...
vive la différence... or whatever the Italian translation of this might be.

Restaurant Italia Plus' Scores
Venue: 4 out of 5
Ambience: 4 out of 5
Service: 4 out of 5
Presentation: 3 ½ out of 5
Taste: 4 out of 5
Value for Money: 4 ½ out of 5

Overall Score: It's not the authentic Italian feel that you may get from such places as Marabini's or Gianni's in Morpeth, but the food elevates the restaurant way beyond this very slight niggle. A wonderful atmosphere in what is obviously a very popular restaurant delivered an excellent Italian Meal. 4 out of 5.

My scoring system explained: 5 = Outstanding, 4 = Excellent, 3 = Good, 2 = Average, 1 = Poor

Contact Details
Restaurant Italia Plus at The Coquetvale Hotel
Station Road
Rothbury
Northumberland
NE65 7QH

Tel: 01669 622900
Fax: 01669 620379

email: stay@cvhotel.co.uk

Web: www.coquetvale.co.uk

Dine with Jean-Christophe Novelli at Alnwick Food Festival

Alnwick Food Festival takes place each year in September (Friday 23rd to Sunday 25th this year) and is increasing in popularity every time it is staged. Last year a staggering 20,000 people visited the Festival and enjoyed the 'foodie' atmosphere and events that run around the Town over this most gastronomic of weekends. This year the festival is set to exceed all previous years, both with the quality and number of events and it's headlining chef, Jean-Christophe Novelli.

Now in it's seventh year, the Festival has been extended from it's previous run of two days over the weekend to three so that it includes the Farmers Market on the Friday. It has quickly become one of the North-East's gastronomic centre pieces and should not be missed. There will be over 50 stalls in the Market Place exhibiting and celebrating local food and produce, a community market and a craft market.

Friday 23rd September

Perhaps the most exciting event of the Festival takes place on the first day. The chance to dine with michelin starred Jean-Christophe himself! Taking place in Northumberland Hall and cooked to Jean-Chrisophe's recipes 100 people will see him demonstrate each course before enjoying a fantastic meal. For more information and to book tickets visit the Alnwick Food Festival Website. The Farmers Market will also take place in the Town Centre with the usual host of fantastic locally produced meat and vegetables.

Saturday 24th September

The public part of the Festival really gets going on Saturday with over 50 stalls in the Market Place, a full programme of chef's displays throughout the day, the Beer Festival in Alnwick Town Hall and an Art and Craft Market. A taste of Northumbria will be held in the evening in Northumberland Hall featuring live music and good Northumbrian food.

Sunday 25th September

The stalls, chef's displays and Beer Festival continue through to a second day on Sunday. There will also be a community market on Bondgate Within celebrating local food and the environment.

The Food Festival and the Beer Festival run concurrently and are always an outstanding success, cementing Alnwick's position as the culinary capital of Northumberland. For more information about Alnwick, how to get there and other Attractions visit Your Guide to Alnwick.

Embleton Guide

Yet another new Guide is ready and this time it's the beautiful coastal Village of Embleton. The Guide also covers Embleton Bay, one of the most beautiful, clean and safe beaches in the whole of the Country. The Guide covers Things to Do, where to eat and drink, golf, walking, amenities.... everything you need to plan a visit to the area. Have a read and let us know what you think. http://www.yournorthumberland.co.uk/area-guides/embleton

Want to know where to Eat and Drink Morpeth?

We've just finished compiling our list of favourite places to Eat and Drink in Morpeth. It took a lot of doing, all those lovely places to try and in the end it was a difficult decision trying to get it down to a select few that we think are worthy of championing. My waistline can confirm that there is real quality and excellent food to be found. So here it is, Your Guide to places to Eat and Drink in Morpeth, enjoy....

http://www.yournorthumberland.co.uk/area-guides/morpeth/morpeth-s-restaurants-pubs-and-cafes