FOOD REVIEW: Dining out, Italian style at Amici in Spalding

Italian restaurant Amici has been a fixture in Spalding for the past 13 years and, in a time where we have seen a number of eateries come and go, that’s a testament to its success.

Situated in Vine Street, it won prestigious national recognition in November, being named as a winner in the Good Food Awards 2019.

And to see how it was living up to its name, myself and a friend were invited for lunch last Friday.

I don’t usually have a big appetite at lunchtime but I prepared myself to sample a few of the dishes that head chef and director Ivan Pastore brought out for us to try.

Ivan, whose family come from Naples in Italy, spent time as a student both in the UK and in Italy, and has a real passion for Italian food.

I was a bit worried we might be tricky customers - I don’t eat meat (although I do eat fish, so I’m classed as a ‘pescatarian’) and my friend Holly doesn’t eat cheese!

We needn’t have been concerned though as Ivan has made sure he caters for a wide range of dietary requirements in his menu. Diners can pick from dishes with gluten free and vegan options available.

For starters, he brought out a selection for us to enjoy.

First, was a delicious bread platter of ciabatta with dips (olive oil, pesto and a balsamic oil), all beautifully presented.

That was followed by Capesante - king scallops with cauliflower and truffle ‘jus’ (a gravy-like sauce) decorated with almonds, watercress and prosciutto. I didn’t eat the prosciutto but the scallops were perfect.

Gamberoni Piccante with king prawns, asparagus, sweet onion, coriander and saffron sauce came next. This also comes with chorizo sausage, so I left that for Holly while I enjoyed the prawns.

The other dish we tried was Fritto Misto - a selection of battered mixed fish with courgette ‘fries’, salad and a lemon and garlic aioli dip. This is available as a starter or a main.

My choice of main was Verdure Alla Parmigiana, which was wonderful. I normally go for pasta but this was made out of thinly sliced and then rolled courgettes and aubergines layered with spinach, ricotta cheeses and a tomato sauce, all baked in the oven and served with salad and toasted bread.

Holly had a tagliatelle tomato-based pasta dish with chicken.

While we were completely full - almost to the brim - after sampling all those dishes, we decided we had to try a pudding for this review.

We shared a plate of white chocolate profiteroles with milk chocolate cream filling. This is called Bigne on the menu.

With a coffee to finish, the meal was topped off perfectly.

There’s a great atmosphere in Amici’s and it’s often at its busiest on a Friday and Saturday night. With its tasty, freshly cooked food, it’s no wonder it’s still doing so well.

You can view its menus online at www.amicispalding.co.uk

Reviewed by Zoe Myall