Amici — Restaurant in Forest of Dean

A great selection of honestly genuine Italian dishes, and some "Specials" that're actually normal British fayre. Ask, if you don't want pasta.

But...

If you DO want pasta, then try doing what we did.

We mentioned that we'd lived in Naples for a few years, and preferred to have the pasta their way. Al dente (cooked for less time).

Naturally, some dishes won't be able to be cooked this way, as they're already prepared & started. But, if it's a dish that's pasta & sauce - they should be able to help you. The Napoli way, is to undercook the pasta, compared to what we're used to in the UK (say 7 mins instead of 10). This gives the pasta far more texture and depth, and increases the flavour contour [ooo, don't I sound like I know what I mean 🤣] and makes you pull that face - similar to Meg Ryan's in "When Harry met Sally" - with every mouthful.

I was boring on this visit (our 5th? 6th? Kinda lost track...) and fancied a steak - a T-bone was a special! Woo-hoo!

But...when my plate was delivered via fork lift, the half a cow on my plate was a bit of a surprise 🫢. Unlike small T-bones that you have, the bone on this was easy to separate, and therefore there was little waste. The chef had perfectly tenderised the meat, and it was good perfectly for me.

The 3 others in our group all plumbed for proper Italian food. As the other couple hadn't tried it al dente, they joined in, and they too decided that it was far better this way. Some places, not Amici - ever, can deliver pasta that has almost dissolved, it's been in water for so long! Never stand up for that, and demand you get some pasta you can feel texture from.

All in all, a fabulous place that's easily accessible from anywhere in Coleford. If you're located near to the centre, don't drive - there's no reason to! If you do drive, thankfully there's a huge car park that's free...

Had an awful takeaway here and unfortunately won't be returning. Ordered online to collect, didn't confirm the order for around 10 mins. When arriving to collect food, was told the pudding ordered wasn't available so chose another instead. Took it home and found they had given me the wrong order, so had to go back again to collect the correct one. The lady serving did decline my offer to pay the difference between the incorrect and my order, which was good of them. When unpacking our food, found it all swimming in mushroom water as the contents of one meal had leaked all over the others. They had placed one heavy foil package on top of a lighter one, crushing it. Food was stone cold and my partner's was inedible. I had asked for no olives on my pizza, which had been ignored. Also paid extra for goat's cheese which wasn't added. Peppers were still crunchy and uncooked, dough incredibly chewy. Fungi con aglio tasted like unseasoned, boiled mushroom. Very watery (most of which was in the bag), homemade bread was dry and thin. Partner ended up spitting out the calamari after nearly dislocating her jaw with the effort of chewing it! Cannelloni was cold, spinach uncooked, cheese on top was like a block where it hadn't melted and pasta was cold. Managed about 3 mouthfuls. Tiramisu was OK, but for homemade I expected more. This was no better than shop-brought, just with more booze. Such a shame as we have just moved and were really excited about having a nice Italian nearby, but will be giving this one a miss...

Amici is definitely a hidden gem within Coleford.

This Italian restaurant within a standalone building serves up and impressive range of foods that cater to a myriad of dietary preferences and intolerances. Among them include gluten free, dairy free, vegetarian, and vegan options.

While there is no gluten free pizza base, there was the option (clearly labeled) to exchange regular pasta for gluten free pasta. I personally did not do this, as the gluten free pasta option was penne, of which I am not a fan (especially if the dish usually calls for an entirely different shape). I do appreciate the inclusion, however. I was told the (gluten filled) carbonara was good, but the bacon used wasn’t good what they preferred.

I ordered the Stinco Di Agnello (slow cooked lamb shank) which was naturally flourless (and also asked for it to made for a gluten sensitive individual). This was accommodated without any issues.

The lamb itself was cooked beautifully; it practically fell off the bone. The sauce and vegetables were also delicious, albeit a bit salty, but I thoroughly enjoyed my meal and finished every last bit of it.

Overall, Amici is probably the best restaurant in Coleford. I appreciate their ability and easier to cater to a wide variety of diners, and you should definitely check it out if you’re...