Casa Zilli — Restaurant in Tandridge

When my brother first found out you could order food from CASA ZILLI during the pandemic thanks to Aldo Zilli’s decision to begin cooking from his neighbourhood home kitchen, initially for NHS staff at local hospitals and pharmacies, he was blown away by the food. So as we started to plan for our Mum’s 70th knowing we wanted it to be really special, he suggested we see if they would host us.

Well they did way more than host us. When I messaged Nicola Zilli a couple of days before nervous about the weather, she was so accommodating as we had booked to go in their stunning secret garden, she told me not to worry she had a back up plan in place to transfer us all to their Kitchen Garden adjacent to an outdoor swimming pool, with the use of their stunning, classy igloos. The grounds were just gorgeous and so tranquil.

On the day when I was unavoidably delayed on the motorway the Zilli’s hosted my guests for me in my absence, even being thoughtful enough to provide them some nibbles (the Calamari and Olives went down a treat!). Nothing was too much trouble. Then we got to eat! Absolutely fantastic food, I went for the Scallop and Prawn Ravioli that melted in my mouth. Even those members of the party that were a little bit limited in their palate had their meals simplified to accommodate. I couldn’t ask for anymore. Nicola took personal pride in making sure everyone’s glass was always full and no detail was missed. Chef Zilli came out once all the food had been served, to introduce himself and check everyone was happy. We ordered in advance a personalised Lemon and Blueberry Birthday cake for my Mum as a surprise and it was truly delicious. Would highly recommend for a Taste of real Italy and for making unforgettable Family memories.

We will definitely being returning again...

I arranged an igloo for my sister's birthday as we wanted to do something special and a little different and my sister lives in the area. I contacted the restaurant a few months prior to the date we wanted to dine in order to secure the reservation. I live in the United States so coordinating the details could have been difficult however Laura was so helpful and oversaw every aspect of our reservation including menu, balloons and cake. We worked over text and she was meticulous in ensuring that everything we could want was discussed and arranged for us.

The Igloos are so fun. We dined close to Christmas when it was really cold so we layered up, however they were toasty warm and welcoming, decorated with lights and festive centerpieces. (We were also offered blankets however did not need them).

The food was wonderful, as you would expect from Aldo Zilli. We ate from the Taste of Italy menu instead of the Seasonal menu as it was a birthday rather than Christmas Celebration. The food was absolutely delicious and the portions for both appetizers and entrees were generous. (We did not have dessert as we had birthday cake - also arranged by Laura).

The service was so friendly attentive and warm, lead by Laura and her team. Chef Zilli even came and said hello to us which was a huge highlight.

I would absolutely recommend the igloos to anyone that wants a novel dining experience. It will...

Lockdown birthday celebrations made even better with a fabulous, authentic Italian meal delivered direct to our doorstep. I don’t mind admitting it when I’m wrong but, if like me, you think when it comes to Good Italian cuisine you can’t have an ‘eating out’ experience when ‘eating in’, well think again. It was delivered exactly when we needed it (socially distanced and perfectly safe), it was piping hot (my worry was it was going to be cold - pasta can often be served cold even in a restaurant) and delicious (it wasn’t an attempt at making it taste like the real thing, it WAS the real thing). We all tucked into our celebration dinner and there were three things that showed me how good it was. Firstly, it started with the silence that fell across the table because nobody wanted to stop eating to speak. Then the fact that nobody would let me near their plates to take a photo after I took mine (for fear of me pinching a bit to taste) and finally the empty plates at the end of the meal. Sure fire signs of a good meal. What a team - delivering great food just a minute or two from my house. If you’re in two minds about trying Casa Zilli, listen to the mind that says eat with Aldo. You...