Italian hideaway

Despite being located on Bristol's Cheltenham Road, stepping into Amici Ristorante - Pizzeria is like entering a traditional Italian grotto. The brickwork of the interior has been whitewashed, but otherwise left exposed, giving the impression that the restaurant has been carved out of a mountainside, and the waiters are all as Italian as the menu and as welcoming as the restaurant's name, translating as 'friends'. My husband started with the mozzarella in carozza (£4.50), which was deep fried in breadcrumbs and served in a thick, rich tomato sauce, while I tried the fagioli all'uccelletto (£4.50), a generous portion of creamy butter beans served in a tomato broth with garlic, sage and olive oil.

For the main course my husband enjoyed the Pizza San Michele (£8.10), with a thick topping of cheese and juicy prawns served on a wafer-thin crispy base. I chose the black linguine with calamari and prawns (£10.50), one of the evening's specials. The linguine was black because it had been cooked in squid ink, giving it a subtle fishy flavour, and gave an exotic twist to the dish, reminiscent of the Spanish favourite of arroz negro, or black rice, which is prepared in the same way. The subtle fishy flavour this gave the pasta went perfectly with the tender calamari rings.

For dessert, I tried the special of homemade tiramisu (£5.50), which was surprisingly light despite the velvety mascapone topping. My husband's profiteroles (£4.70) were an indulgence of fresh whipped cream, masses of chocolate and delicate choux pastry. But the real treat at Amici's is the ambiance, with a clientele as varied as any you would expect to find in Italy, with gaggles of young girls alongside families with small children, all enjoying the relaxed atmosphere and attentive service that makes dining at Amici's such a pleasure.

Judy Darley

Bristol Review

September 15 2007

Opening Hours

Mon - Saturday, 6.00pm - 2.00am
Sunday, 12noon - 2am

All major credit cards accepted.

Tel for reservation 0117 924 5879

Buon appetito! (Enjoy your meal) and come back again soon.

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