Amore Sunderland (Amore Restaurant (Sunderland))

Member Name: laukez

Product:	Amore Restaurant (Sunderland)
Date:	27/08/09 (154 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Beautiful food, surroundings and service

Disadvantages: None!

Amore in Sunderland is a true hidden gem. Tucked away on the outskirts of the city centre (in Tavistock Place), this Italian restaurant offers everything you could want in an Italian meal.

The setting is beautiful - you go down a flight of steps towards the basement of an old terraced house. First, you enter the bar area, decorated with pictures of Al Pacino and Marlon Brando. Very cool and contemporary, without trying too hard. There are a couple of lovely squishy sofas and some bar stools where you can wait for your table or round off your meal. The bar has an excellent and wide-ranging choice of drinks. A soft drink costs £1-2 and a beer (Peroni and others) about £3. Wine starts around £12 for a bottle of house red or white ranging up to expensive champagnes.

The main restaurant area is lovely - cosy and beautifully done. It never feels overcrowded and there is plenty of space between the tables, which are always laid immaculately. It's well decorated and feels fairly spacious considering it is in a cellar. The main restaurant opens into a separate room which in my experience is generally hired out for parties, meaning the main restaurant is never too rowdy - always a bonus.

The menu is excellent - a wide choice of the usual pizzas and pastas as well as fish and meat dishes. There is a chef's special menu which also includes some more adventurous choices, as well as departures from the usual Italian restaurant standards.

I've been here a few times now, but will base this review on the last meal we had there. I went with my boyfriend on a friday night, having booked a table for 7.30pm and on arriving we were taken straight to our table by the friendly staff, then given our menus. After taking our drinks orders we were left to peruse the menu. We opted for a shared starter of potato skins (experience told us one would be enough) with me havinh Pollo Stroganoff for main course and him having Penne Carbonara.

The potato skins were excellent, hot and crisp with a beautiful garlic mayonnaise dip. The plate was nicely dressed with balsamic vinegar and a tomato sauce, and the portion was generous. When the main courses arrived they looked brilliant. Mine comprised of several small fillets of chicken (which I personally prefer to one large piece) in a beautiful stroganoff sauce. On tasting it didn't disappoint with a wonderful balance between the mustard and creamy flavours with just a tiny hint of brandy. The carbonara (which I managed to steal a taste of) was delicous and creamy with beautiful smoked salty pancetta. A classic dish and done to perfection.

Desserts were on offer but I couldn't possibly have managed one. The waitress came to our table with a platter of their selection and all looked great and home-made which is a bonus compared to other restaurants in Sunderland!

The bill came in at around £35 which was reasonable, and definitely worth it. The restaurant also has a lunchtime and early evening happy hour which makes a fair saving.

All in all this is an exemplary restaurant, and undoubtedly the best Italian (if not overall restaurant) in Sunderland. It has won a fair few awards and it's easy to see why. The service is always excellent, and I have never once had a single complaint about a meal at Amore.

Summary: My favourite restaurant