THERE'S a lot of competition in the world of Italian restaurants, so I was intrigued when another contender was opened at the Lion Quays Country Club.
Nico’s – which describes itself as ‘simply Italian’ – is not a completely new restaurant, more of a relaunch.
There has been a restaurant at the country club since it opened a couple of years ago, but previously it had been a members or members and friends only operation.
Nico’s, however, is open to all – and based on our visit, it’s worth adding to your list of Italians.
First impressions are good – the bar area is smart, while the eating area promises a relaxed and classy dining experience. One thing that impressed me straight away was the selection of beers available at the bar – from the Italian Moretti on draught, to the locally brewed and highly recommended cask offering, Station Bitter.
We chose to visit on the evening of the Champions League final – which was being screened in the bar area – meaning the atmosphere was a little more excitable than usual, which wouldn’t be everyone’s cup of tea.
The menu isn’t particularly extensive, although there should be something to suit most tastes, and the prices are certainly competitive. We opted for the antipasti accompanied by garlic foccacia to start, washed down with a pint of the
aforementioned Moretti and an excellent bottle of Sauvignon Blanc, priced at a reasonable £13.
I was pleased we decided to go for the foccacia with the starter which, while extremely tasty and generous with its selection of meats, olives, sundried tomatoes, flavoured oils and so on, only had a couple of dough sticks to provide some carbohydrate balance. I would have happily traded a couple of slices of cured ham for some fresh bread. That said, we managed to clear the platter.
For mains, we both went for pizza. I chose the Pesce Delizia – a seafood topping of prawns, squid and mussels. The crust was thin and crispy – a welcome change from the thick, doughy efforts you find in many eating places these days. What lifted this particular pizza above the ordinary, though, was a powerful kick of fresh chilli and lemon juice, which gave the dish a surprisingly fresh taste.
Melissa chose the Pollo di Capra, and again the fresh herbs – particularly the pungent rosemary – and succulent chicken made this a pizza worth seeking out.
I finished with the strawberry panna cotta, and at I first I was a little taken aback by how small it was. Thankfully it tasted delicious, although the sweet strawberry sauce did threaten to overpower the delicate flavour of the panna cotta.
Melissa played it safe and went for ice cream and had no complaints about the quality.
As I said, there are plenty of good Italian restaurants out there, but we were impressed enough with the quality of the food at Nico’s to recommend it.
Nico’s, at Lion Quays Country Club, Moreton, Oswestry.
Tel: 01691 684300