If you've ever tried cooking yourself an
Italian meal, you'll have encountered their love of fresh ingredients such
as tomatoes, onions, basil, rosemary and oregano, cooked with mouth-watering
ingredients such as extra virgin olive oil and parmesan cheese. You'll
also have found out how complicated and time-consuming some of these recipes
can be, particularly for the novice.
It
was with this is in mind that we first tried
Bagattis one of the most popular Italian restaurants in
South Croydon's 'restaurant strip' along the Brighton Road.
Entering the restaurant you're first struck by the comfortably
low lighting and the politeness of the staff - real Italians
by the way. In fact, looking into the restaurant,
(away from the delights of the Brighton Road), you're almost
transported to Italy itself, but without the air-fare of
course.
Complimentary starters are
a bowl of delicious spicy olives with fine cuts of sweet
pepper, which seemed to disappear pretty quickly over a
bottle of surprisingly good Frascati, whilst waiting for
the main course to arrive. Looking around the restaurant
it's pleasantly reassuring to note you have full view of
the clean bright kitchen area. The restaurant seems
bigger than it really is due to one wall being fully mirrored,
which gives a feeling of airy spaciousness, but could be
slightly challenging if faced with an image of oneself fighting
with a mouthful of spaghetti!
When
the main course arrives we're not disappointed.
We've gone for a sword-fish steak with new potatoes, tomatoes,
olives, and a piquant sauce on a bed of fresh Italian salad
(pictured foreground). The other dish is pasta with
a sauce made from Palma ham, Pancetta, olives, tomatoes
and all the mysterious herbs that the Italians use to infuse
their recipes with such wonderful flavours. The meal
is so tasty it's difficult to slow down and give the tastes
the respect they deserve. The fresh clean Frascati
cuts across your palette, getting you ready to enjoy the
tastes of your meal all over again. Chatting with
the waiter we find that most, if not all of the ingredients
are flown directly over from Italy, (he grates us fresh
Parmesan from a large slab with Italian trademarks adorning
the rind). This adds hugely to the authenticity of
Bagattis and the overall experience.
This is where you're reminded of the difference
from the do-it-yourself experiences you may have had. These people
really know what they're doing, so much so that you're left wondering what
the magic ingredient is to the cooking that makes a visit to Bagattis so
worth while. The meal is finished with coffees and liqueurs from the
well stocked bar (above), but no pressure is brought to bear for a timely
departure even though Bagattis is often very busy. In true Italian
style, a meal is a social event and you're allowed to relax, enjoy your meal
and savour the experience in the way they do it in Rome. For around
£15.00 per person a trip to Bagattis doesn't even have to be saved for a
special occasion, but Croyweb's sure it will turn into one once you
arrive....
Bagattis
- Four Stars
56-58 South End
Croydon
Reservations
020 8686 9649