Prezzo
The Lexicon
Bracknell RG12 1BG
01344 452641
www.prezzorestaurants.co.uk
MY WIFE closed her eyes, laid back and thought not of England, but of the Med. And for Prezzo, that’s mission accomplished.
A spritzer in one hand, crispy fried mozzarella in the other, this was the closest we could get to going abroad at a sensible price this summer.
Prezzo, in neighbouring Bracknell, has introduced a new menu for these brighter days, aimed at conjuring up memories of holidays gone by.
And it’s successful. There are rustic dishes such as the new Prosciutto and Burrata Salad starter. It comes with cherry tomatoes, cucumber and basil – all drizzled with pesto and finished with a balsamic glaze.
Then there’s a taste of la mer: Creamy Seafood Ravioli. This crab-and-lobster-filled ravioli is topped with oak-smoked salmon flakes and peas in a creamy garlic, lemon and tarragon butter sauce, garnished with rocket and lemon.
And for younger ones, there’s a three-course menu for a budget-friendly £6.75.
Sure there are the safe options of pasta and meatballs or a cheeseburger, but for more adventurous palettes there’s Bambini Calamari for starters, and King Prawns Pasta for mains.
My fussy eater wolfed these down, praising the calamari for not being too squeaky, and even eating the carrots that were snuck into the pasta sauce, without any complaint. Why can’t that happen at home?
His dessert could have been ice cream, chocolate dippers or a fruit lolly, but instead he demolished the Banana and Chocolate Pancake: fluffy pancake, freshly chopped banana and a chocolate sauce that went everywhere.
A very satisfied customer.
My daughter decided to try the Tre Gusti pizza (£13.50 or £15.50 for large). This comprises spicy pepperoni, chicken, pancetta, mozzarella and tomato sauce, but being a veggie she swapped the meat for vegan versions. She enjoyed it, but wished the vegan pepperoni had had some bite to it.
The Mushroom, Spinach and Olives pizza (£11.50 or £13.50 large) was my choice, but hating olives, they were swapped out for vegan pepperoni. There is no doubt that the ingredients were fresh and, combined with a light, airy dough, it was very tasty.
A word of warning: the regular pizzas are a hefty portion size. We had to take leftovers home – no bad thing, but what must the large be like?
And my wife, still dreaming of sunnier days in the Med, tried the Goat’s Cheese Al Forno (£12.50), another vegetarian dish, with mushrooms, peppers, spinach and basil pesto. Again, massive portions and delicious though it was, couldn’t be polished off.
Stuffed, we couldn’t look at the dessert menu: after all, we weren’t able to sleep it off by the sea. They include a raspberry sorbet (£3.50), a Salted Caramel Chocolate Tart (£5.50) and, new for summer, a Blackcurrent and Prosecco Cheesecake (£5.75), with the prosecco being a jelly.
Service was calm, unhurried and very welcoming. Due to Covid-19, Prezzo still has some social distancing measures in place, and there are sanitising stations around the site. It’s also card payments only for now – and if sticking a meal on the never never doesn’t make you feel like you’re on holiday, well, you’re going to the wrong places.
