PINOCCHIO’S P
The Gen inocchio’s Restaurant on the quintessentially ‘Norwich’ street, St Benedicts is part of a family of independently owned restaurants, that counts St Benedicts Restaurant, Te Library Bar and Grill and
Pulse as its siblings. We were recently saddened to hear that Pulse will be closing its doors, and so we thought it was important to celebrate the Raffles Restaurants that are still feeding the family that is our fine city.
trepidation as a Masterchef contestant approaching a rock-hard sea urchin with a spoon. I’d always steered clear of gnocchi (a fear that they’d be Norfolk dumpling-esque) but tonight I chose the dish that they belonged to, and I was more than chuffed. Tey were soft, smooth, and had a little bit of bounce that went so well with the resilient pork. As Italian cooking often does, I found myself leaning more towards the vegetarian aspects of the dish – the pea and spring onion medley being a sweet, fresh treat. Te Seafood Linguine was so wonderfully generous; pebble dashed plentifully with the fruits of the sea and bathing in a simple tomato-based sauce.
Pud I have had the pleasure of eating with an Italian family, and two things are true: they cook exceptionally, and they like to feed you. Eating Italian is a game of endurance that this evening, I lost. No room for pud, even though I saw the holy matrimony of ‘salted’ and ‘caramel’ on the list.
Atmosphere Billed as a Mediterranean Brasserie, Pinocchio’s’ relationship to the ‘family’ of Raffles Restaurants is actually more of the attractive Italian figure who’s related by marriage. Tere is always a nice hum to the space; tables are squeezed in at cozy European intervals. It’s a Saturday night, 9pm and people are lucid, laughing, happy.
To Start Tempura of Tiger Prawns with Parmesan Crust / Prosciutto
wrapped Asparagus Having been to Pinocchio’s before, I returned to a tried and tested favourite. I
VENUE7/10
know; I’m so vanilla. Crispy prawns and authentic aioli are a handsome match at any table, and they transform into something spectacular when the prawns are meaty thick and still robust to the crunch. When asparagus is in season, I’m like a dog in heat. Luckily I don’t mean I shimmy my privates along the carpet, but I certainly make the most of the short window. It should be enjoyed simply, as it was here. Although I don’t think I caught a taste of the truffle oil that was supposed to be dashed on top.
The Main Event Seafood Linguine / Pork Fillet
with Homemade Gnocchi It was my first time. I felt as much
FODDER7.5/10 GETTING HOME
Te Big Eat Out is proud to endorse Courtesy Taxis as the safe option for enjoying a couple of drinks and getting back home with ease. If you’re travelling within the ring road, book a taxi between 6pm and midnight, quoting ‘Ready to Go’and get a fixed fare of £4.50 for a car, £7 for a mini bus, seven days a week!
Value With a mixture of fair priced mains and incredibly good value pasta and pizza dishes, there’s a massive range of choices for every purse size. I must shout at this point; NEVER order a pizza from Domino’s again. I have often strolled away from work and grabbed a delicious, homemade and flavour-rich pizza from Pinocchio’s for the outstanding good value of about £7-8.
Overall For flavours of the med, and the usual comforting Italian suspects as well as an ever-evolving selection of à la Carte mains, you can’t go wrong with the Raffles’ little European number. I found it astounding that on Trip Advisor, the restaurant was billed at number 103 in the rankings. I’d struggle to name twenty better for variety and value.
VALUE 8.5/10 OVERALL7.5/10
Courtesy Taxis 44-66-44
24hr service Norwich 01603
courtesytaxis.com
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