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This restaurant review was
undertaken on August 29, 2008
I
had heard a lot about Sapori from a number of couples that dine
out in Woburn on a regular basis. They often informed me that
the restaurant was “brilliant” and the service “second to none”.
Sapori has been taken over from the married couple that once ran
this popular restaurant just off the main high street. A new
Head Chef has joined the team and the existing owners are
looking to not only match the previous high standards but also
improve all areas to make this a dining experience to remember.
Both my guest and I were excited about visiting Sapori.
Décor
The first sight upon walking through the entrance
is the dessert cabinet with an array of chocolate puddings.
There are two small rooms one to the left of the entrance and
one to the right. There were 9 tables in each room with
comfortable high-back chairs supporting you in style as you lean
back into them. The tables are a little close together so there
is no hiding your business from the table next door; but this is
great for mixing with random people. The restaurant is a creamy
brown with a simple and clean look.
Atmosphere
As the room is small you can hear many
conversations if you choose to so the Italian music that played
in the background could have been louder. We were quite close
to a table of four and one of those four had a loud laugh which
became annoying but sometimes funny. A number of times I was
bumped by the waiters passing my chair, which I doubt
would be happily accepted by everyone. More space between tables
is a must!
Food
I love prawns and seem to always choose them from
most menu’s so predictably selected Gamberoni al Sopori, Shelled
king prawns in white pancetta, pan fired and served with
chickpea puree and primolio extra virgin olive oil from Pugila
(£8.50). The prawns were cooked well and kept tender and the
roasted chick peas are crunchy. The puree was a tad bland. My
dish seemed to have too many chick peas and puree of the same
taste and more contrasting flavours would have helped to bring
this dish to life.
My guest plumped for the Antipasto Misto which
was a selection of Parma ham, breola, salami, mozzarella and
Italian pickled vegatables (£7.50). A massive portion arrived
on a massive plate. I tried and enjoyed the mozzarella’s
texture; soft and gooey but my guest commented that whilst this
was an “enjoyable” dish, it was “nothing special.”
A mains chalk board was brought out but we felt
rushed and had little time to take in all of the selections. I
think there were a number of fish dishes to try along with a
special pasta and special meat dish but unfortunately I cannot
be certain.
From the mains menu I chose the petto ai Sapori
breast of chicken with white wine, cherry tomatoes, scallops,
prawns and courgettes (£16.95). When it arrived this dish did not
look too appealing as the chicken looked quite dull. The sauce
lacked flavour but the dish as a whole tasted better than it
looked and the scallops were lovely and fresh.
My guest opted for the Filetto al Pepe marinated
Scottish fillet with green, black and red pepper sauce with
cream and Vecchia Romagna brandy (£18.50). This was a fantastic
piece of meat and cooked perfectly (medium/well). The sauce had
an amazing kick to it, lots of flavour and was simply
mouth-watering. I sampled the peppercorn sauce and it sizzled
with spice. It left my mouth and throat tingling. This is a must
try dish.
For desserts my choice was the raspberry and
strawberry cheesecake which was almost yoghurt like but had a
wonderful biscuit on the base. My guest chose the mousse in the
martini glass with a white chocolate base. Although the mousse
was rich and creamy, the white chocolate was set so hard that
even a knife and fork could not prize the chocolate out.
Service
We were looking for amazing service as we had
been told such good things about the Italian staff but alas, we
were slightly disappointed. One man stood out however, a
gentleman who seemed relaxed and spoke Italian with his soft
voice charming us both. The other staff seemed stressed, smiled
very little and we felt under pressure to rush our orders. Be
prepared for large gaps between courses. This is in no way a
complaint as this is very much the Italian way, but it did make
us wonder why they made us feel so rushed to place our orders.
I enjoyed the food at Sapori but believe they
need to work harder to achieve the standard of old. The new Chef
has a lot of work to do but the restaurant still has class and
we will happily return once the new staff have settled. |
