THE GASTRONOMIC HEART OF ITALY .....

Summer wouldn’t be summer without dining at Ginos and sampling the seasonal dishes that will transport you to the gastronomic heart of Italy.

Still, after all these years, Ginos located in the Marriot on Boar Lane retains its title as the city’s premier authentic Italian restaurant.

And its little wonder. Here you can relax in stylish settings in a glamorous open plan restaurant. There’s an impressive bar area and its great to enjoy alfresco drinks and dining all day.

If you enjoy the chic experience at Ginos of cocktails on the terrace there’s a number of new drinks including an Elderflower and Blueberry Margarita – a blend of tequila, elderflower liqueur, lime and blueberry – a must to try its so delicious. And if cocktails are not your passion then there’s great choice on the wine list that won’t break the bank. We were tempted by the Pinot Grigio Rose from Northern Italy which was light and dry with notes of cherry and raspberry and very reasonably priced for its quality.

As usual the minute you step into Ginos you feel chilled and relaxed and pampering and great service comes naturally to the staff.

After a while perusing the menu I decided on one of the new antipasti plates for my starter – Prosciutto Di Parma. This was a delightful combination of honeydew melon with citrus, limoncello and fresh mint – so simple but so delicious and full of flavour but a warning there is a very large portion of ham on the dish.

My partner chose the Cocktail Di Gamberetti and was totally amazed by its work of art presentation when it arrived. The prawns were presented in a ring of sliced cucumber and the wild North Atlantic prawns had avocado and gem lettuce with them and it was a very tasty Marie Rose sauce. The crisp Sardinian flatbread on the side was the perfect touch.

I decided to delve into the restaurant’s new summer pasta and risotto dishes which have three new standout additions. I chose the Ravioli Con Spinaci E Ricotta and was not disappointed.

The fresh filled pasta had spinach and ricotta in it which had a smooth and great taste. Sage butter and toasted pine nuts decorated the dish. Definitely one to savour – hope its kept on the menu after the summer!

My partner went for the Piccante Pizza. This was very spicy but was a very good mix. The Pizza had spicy salami, nduja, roast peppers, mozzarella, San Marzano tomatoes and Calabrian chilli flakes. A great mix for those who like hot and spicy pizzas

For Dolci I was determined to try the Profiterole Siciliani, which on my other visits had always been sold out by the time I came to order. When the giant profiterole arrived it was amazing adorned with freshly grated dark chocolate and pistachio cream and was accompanied by panna gelato.

Now I knew why it is everyone’s favourite! But it is a big portion and ideal for sharing.

My partner decided on gelato choosing the blood orange sorbet, with honeycomb and strawberry.

This was his first visit to Ginos, as he travels the world in his profession, and he thoroughly enjoyed the night as he speaks Italian and he says this will not be his last visit here! Praise indeed.

Once again Ginos came up tops in just everything – that’s perhaps the reason why on a Monday evening the restaurant was bustling and busy – which says it all when other city centre eating establishments are either half empty or closed.