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If you are looking for the warmth of an English roaring fire or the romance of the sun setting over the Mediterranean as you enter Avanti, you can imagine both scenes thanks to the lively decor which draws you in and immediately creates a warm homely atmosphere.
We were met by Luca Mocciaro who made you feel so welcome, in fact you can't help falling in love with the Italian lively spirit and you find yourself saying 'Grazie' quite early on in the evening.
The restaurant is split level, the pine furniture, grand mirrors and furnishing is well proportioned. There is a sense of intimacy, with good spacing between tables. The decor is very clean and tidy but not clinical and pink roses compliment every table, the artwork is minimalist but effective. A well stocked bar is in the centre of the restaurant.
Avanti is very popular - we'd only started our appetisers; Garlic bread with Mozzarella and Olive Condite (olives with chilli and herbs) having arrived at 7.30pm and the restaurant started filling up. As the evening progressed the lights were lowered which added to the ambience and authentic Italian music serenaded us in the background.
There were 12 choices for starters but we eventually settled for Sardini Avanti (Filleted sardines stuffed with garlic, herbs and breadcrumbs) and Gamberetti e Avacado which was served on a large plate, the prawns and avocado in the centre with salad garnishing on the outside, all of which went down nicely!
There were 15 Pasta and 8 Pizza dishes plus 11 Main Courses all equally appealing, catering for both meat and vegetarian diners. With two of the co-owners coming from the bay of Naples it is not surprising that there is a special emphasis on fish and seafood.
We mustn't forget to mention the Daily Specials which were Crab Claws with tartar sauce: Large Ravioli stuffed with asparagus in butter and sage: Seabream in wine, rosemary and garlic, served with vegetables and potatoes: Fillet of Plaice in lemon sauce served with vegetables and potatoes: Lamb Shank in roast, vegetables, wine and garlic served with sauté potatoes.
After much deliberation one of the specials, the Seabream, was chosen and the fish was served (filleted at the table) with cauliflower, carrots, cabbage and roasted potatoes. I chose the Tagliatelle ai funghi (mixed mushrooms in wine sauce), the portions were very generous and presented attractively on the plates.
The dessert menu was incredible with five homemade desserts plus three scoops of luxury Italian Ice Cream as well as eight original specially designed choices to tempt you and leave you drooling. The Tartufo Limoncello (lemon ice cream with a soft lemon liqueur centre, coated with crushed lemon meringue) was immediately ordered. I ended the night with a Calypso Coffee!!!! Then I was forced honestly..... hand behind my back to taste the homemade cheesecake. It was light and melted on my tongue mmm....
Avanti is co-owned by Luca, his wife Marianna and Emilio Raffa. Emilio is from Napoli, and is responsible for creating all the wonderful Italian fare. Mariola joins Luca and Marianna as part of the serving team , another member of staff works upstairs in the kitchen with Emilio. Luca is very passionate about the desserts he creates, and quite rightly so! All the meals are freshly prepared to order and if you were in a hurry. Luca and his team are on hand to advise you about food preparation times.
Luca says, "At Avanti it's all about teamwork", they favour the continental way of serving, making sure the diner is happy. Nothing is too much.
Avanti opened its doors 23 March 2006 and on 5 September 2006 was awarded the Quality Food Online Gold Award 2006-2007. The Certificate reads:
The Gold Award has been granted to Avanti Restaurant for outstanding achievement and the pursuit of excellent food and service.
We can certainly vouch for the above as well as good value priced meals and such an extensive menu, it will be quite a while before we run out of different meals to savour. We will be back!
We were met by Luca Mocciaro who made you feel so welcome, in fact you can't help falling in love with the Italian lively spirit and you find yourself saying 'Grazie' quite early on in the evening.
The restaurant is split level, the pine furniture, grand mirrors and furnishing is well proportioned. There is a sense of intimacy, with good spacing between tables. The decor is very clean and tidy but not clinical and pink roses compliment every table, the artwork is minimalist but effective. A well stocked bar is in the centre of the restaurant.
Avanti is very popular -
There were 12 choices for starters but we eventually settled for Sardini Avanti (Filleted sardines stuffed with garlic, herbs and breadcrumbs) and Gamberetti e Avacado which was served on a large plate, the prawns and avocado in the centre with salad garnishing on the outside, all of which went down nicely!
There were 15 Pasta and 8 Pizza dishes plus 11 Main Courses all equally appealing, catering for both meat and vegetarian diners. With two of the co-
We mustn't forget to mention the Daily Specials which were Crab Claws with tartar sauce: Large Ravioli stuffed with asparagus in butter and sage: Seabream in wine, rosemary and garlic, served with vegetables and potatoes: Fillet of Plaice in lemon sauce served with vegetables and potatoes: Lamb Shank in roast, vegetables, wine and garlic served with sauté potatoes.
After much deliberation one of the specials, the Seabream, was chosen and the fish was served (filleted at the table) with cauliflower, carrots, cabbage and roasted potatoes. I chose the Tagliatelle ai funghi (mixed mushrooms in wine sauce), the portions were very generous and presented attractively on the plates.
The dessert menu was incredible with five homemade desserts plus three scoops of luxury Italian Ice Cream as well as eight original specially designed choices to tempt you and leave you drooling. The Tartufo Limoncello (lemon ice cream with a soft lemon liqueur centre, coated with crushed lemon meringue) was immediately ordered. I ended the night with a Calypso Coffee!!!! Then I was forced honestly..... hand behind my back to taste the homemade cheesecake. It was light and melted on my tongue mmm....
Avanti is co-
Luca says, "At Avanti it's all about teamwork", they favour the continental way of serving, making sure the diner is happy. Nothing is too much.
Avanti opened its doors 23 March 2006 and on 5 September 2006 was awarded the Quality Food Online Gold Award 2006-
We can certainly vouch for the above as well as good value priced meals and such an extensive menu, it will be quite a while before we run out of different meals to savour. We will be back!