Restaurant Italia — Restaurant in England

On the first night we booked a table; it was steak night so we wanted to make sure we didn't miss out. We're a family of 4 and the children had the lasagna and arribiata penne pasta, which was made to order and my daughter could choose how spicy she wanted, which was perfect. A side portion of chips which were excellent, went down very well. My husband and I enjoyed the steak and sides option, served with a lovely cold bottle of South African Sauvignon Blanc, totalling £45. The steak was a really good size, but was every so slightly on the chewy side, however every mouthful had great flavour and considering that I can't cook steak very well myself, that was what was important. The steak was served as we had requested: medium and well done. We had a table in the kitchen room and saw the chefs at work. They clearly work very hard and the wait for food was spot on. Everything was served nicely and by very efficient waiting staff. They were really busy, so managed exceptionally well. The bar was well stocked and the draft beer was delicious; which is what we had on our second night, when we walked in and managed to get the last table. Marcus, who was managing the tables and restaurant area was really efficient and despite being extremely busy, still made time to check on us and make sure we had everything we needed. Considering we were a walk in, at no time were we waiting long, and when he'd seen we'd finished a drink, he asked if we'd like anything more, which when we did, it arrived quickly. He also made time to stop and chat to the children; he was very patient. Check the menu first, as they don't seem to do a beef burger, however I was very tempted by the vegan burger. I had the bolognese and my daughter had vegan meatballs which were both really nice. My husband had the chicken in peppercorn sauce, which was cooked from scratch; very succulent and tasty. My son on the second visit chose the penne tomato pasta from the children's menu. He's 10 and it was a reasonable portion for him (perfect for slightly younger), but helped by a portion of delicious fries! It's a really nice place to eat and you can tell they all work...

We tried the restaurant hoping for a nice bite before heading to the fireworks. The staff were welcoming and provided a high chair for our 1 year old. The restaurant is connected to the bar area where you must be able to also order food as our server didn't reappear for some time. We got the feeling she wears alot of hats in the Hope&Anchor. We noticed a happy hour as half price on pizza and pasta which we opted for. The server advised us to order an adults pizza as it was more cost effective than 2 children's pizzas which was great for us. The food arrived quite promptly, I had a carbona and my wife the crab and lobster tortellini. Unfortunately the tortellini was cold , however it was promptly replaced but underwhelming. Something crab and lobster shouldn't be. My carbonara was watery and having added an entire bowl of parmesan it was improved. Where the pasta was disappointing the pizza made up for it. We ordered a pizza garlic bread and mozzarella which was one of the nicest I've had for as long as I can remember. The margarita pizza was also delicious and we were envious the kids ate it all. This is certainly a restaurant I will be recommending to try the pizza. Of note, the young lady serving behind the bar was very good with the kids and...

Update. The restaurant is not what it was. Service is patchy and grudging - seating us was a chore for the maitre d, I was rebuked for ordering two starters ("I thought the mussels were your main, why didn't you ..."), had to ask for additional drinks. Before Covid the restaurant was much better staffed - more servers, more welcoming, and more attention to diners.

The menu now is not great - no specials and a mediocre list that is pre-prepared. Pizza undercooked. Calamari soft, large rings, and not great. Mussels too expensive, broken shells, and a very thin soup/sauce. In short, no dish was good. Disappointed. Our previous experiences in the reviews below were very different.

Thank you. Since we live in the US, it’s been a couple of years since we were here. As good as the past visits. Service and food truly outstanding. And the price is reasonable.

When we visit the area, and spend a day rushing around, it is such a pleasure to relax and eat good food in a pleasant...