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This restaurant
review was undertaken on January 15, 2009
Why had I not visited Sapori long before now? That was the
question I was left asking myself after visiting this
establishment for the first time on January 15, 2009. This
absolute gem of a restaurant was taken over by the charming
Livio Bove in 2008 and has since gone from strength to strength.
Décor
Sapori is both warm and welcoming. The rooms still feature the
original Georgian coving and wood panelled walls alongside the
attractive chandeliers; but despite these supposedly
old-fashioned features, this restaurant definitely has a modern
feel. The tables are immaculately prepared, with quality linen
and napkins that are folded to form a ‘wave’ effect. The high
leather backed chairs are inviting, comfortable and in-keeping
with the classy tones of brown throughout the rooms. I loved the
way the glass tea light holders contained olives.
Food
Sapori normally have one sitting per evening. It’s a great shame
that there are not many restaurants in Milton Keynes that do
this. At Sapori, you can sit down, take your time, and know that
your table is yours for the evening. Everything is cooked to
order and nothing (apart from the desserts) is pre-prepared.
We started with the traditional olive oil and balsamic vinegar
with some delightfully fresh bread. We also had a flute of
champagne each which proved the perfect way to prepare for the
feast ahead. We also ordered a glass each of Pinot Grigio Del
Trentino D.O.C. (13.5%), Vigneti Le Meridiane (£4.95). Pale
straw yellow, clear cut and delicate on the nose with a scent of
acacia flower, minerals and pears. Elegantly structured, smooth,
round and long on the palate. We were both impressed with a wine
list that had clearly taken some time and effort to compile.
Many of the wines could be viewed as expensive, but a quick
glance at the list said they were reasonably priced for what
they were. This menu is also wood bound – impressive!
 My
partner and I ordered three starters that we would eventually
share; Insalata Caprese Invernale (V), Fresh mozzarella served
with plum tomatoes, oven-roasted to bring out their flavour,
drizzled with a pesto dressing (£6.50). Wonderfully presented,
this was a substantial starter, with large pieces of mozzarella
as opposed to slices. Immediately you realised how fresh all the
ingredients are but this starter was possibly overshadowed by
the Mussels, described by my partner as some of the best she had
ever tasted. Again, so incredibly fresh and soft, these mussels
were particularly large and really did melt in the mouth.
Although we were sharing, I laid claim to the Gamberoni. This
dish was selected from the specials board (£7.50) and was
prepared with a different recipe to the one you can find on the
menu. We were served large shelled king prawns, with strips of
pepper, a thick tomato sauce and chilli. Perfectly seasoned,
this dish had a genuinely pleasant kick to it. The prawns were
as white as snow when cut, meaty and moreish. The tomato sauce,
clearly made from the freshest of ingredients, was simply
sublime.
Occasionally you will eat food that is so good - you will never
forget it. This is exactly what happened when I tasted my main
course - the butterfly pasta from the specials board (£12.50)
with salmon and a white wine sauce. I chose to season this with
black pepper and do not recall ever tasting pasta quite so good.
Well seasoned with a lovely creamy texture, this dish was full
of gorgeous flavours that sent my taste buds wild. Amazing!
A
whole sea bass, pan fried with white wine, prawns, courgettes
and cherry tomatoes, served with vegetables (£17.50) was the
choice of my guest. As wonderful as sea bass is, especially when
cooked so well like this was, there is only so much you can do
with this dish; for lovers of fish, it would be the perfect
meal, but with menu envy very much in evidence, my pasta was
winning hands down.
Both my guest and I now had a problem. We were very full.
However, we both realised that we were eating fine food of the
highest quality and we simply did not want to leave without
sampling the desserts. Two dishes arrived – my choice of
Chocolate Amaretto with white chocolate flakes arrived in a
Martini glass. This was very rich but smooth - a chocolate
lover’s paradise, which might explain why I still found the
room to eat it. An Amaretto biscuit to accompany this dessert
would have been welcomed. We both sampled our second sweet, the
Tiramisu, served in a glass. This was not as light as we had
expected as the mascarpone was very thick but the flavours still
shone through.
Our compliments go to Roberto
the Head Chef and his team for producing a truly outstanding
meal.
Service
We were served by both Livio and the impeccably presented
Alesandro. The latter seemed almost shy at first, but during the
course of our meal it was almost as if a friendship was
developing and it was abundantly clear that if we were happy,
then Alesandro was happy. In true Italian style we never once
felt rushed despite taking our time to carefully make our
choices and it was refreshing to be waited on by someone who
clearly loved the work they were doing. Not once during the meal
did we need to ask or wait for anything – our every need was
catered for with perfect timing.
Atmosphere
The ambient lighting, Italian music, service and of course the
food alongside the wonderful décor all combine to make this an
incredibly romantic venue. The tables are reasonably close
together creating a cosy and warm environment where you
immediately feel relaxed. If you are in the mood for a seriously
good treat and truly wish to unwind; then Sapori really must be
placed at the top of your list.
(to read an older review of Sapori, please
click here). |
