Just another Italian chain restaurant (Pizza Express)

Member Name: frangliz

Product:	Pizza Express
Date:	03/11/09 (93 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Better than Strada

Disadvantages: Not as good as Zizzi's

Pizza Express is no longer a restaurant I would consider going to during the daytime as I hate the noise and the mess that seems to be unavoidable lately. One Saturday evening in Gunwharf Quays, Portsmouth, we had wanted to try the Brasserie Blanc but with no reservation we would have had an hour's wait for a table. I could still remember having some enjoyable meals at Pizza Express a few years ago, and I suggested that it might be a little more civilised there in the evenings. We wandered down to the waterfront and found that Pizza Express did in fact have a few empty tables.

It was Hallowe'en and the waiting staff had made attempts at dressing up, some more enthusiastically than others. Menus were brought before I had even sat down, and a waitress soon came to take our order for drinks. The three of us all decided on Sicilian lemonade (£2.20), a refreshing still lemonade. We didn't want a starter each, so we asked for some black and green olives in a herb marinade (£2.10) and a Bruschetta (£4.15), baked dough with tomatoes, red onions, garlic and pesto.

The main menu consists predictably of pizzas, pasta dishes and salads, but I was interested to see the addition of the 'leggera' section. This is Italian for light, and all the pizzas in this section have a hole cut out of the dough in the centre which is replaced by a fresh salad. A bit of a gimmick, we felt, as you could just as well have a small pizza with a side salad. I was quite interested in the Melanzane Parmigiana, listed under pasta but sounding more like moussaka. Glancing through the pizza section, I noticed they still did my old favourite, Veneziana pizza (£6.70), with onions, capers, olives, sultanas and pine kernels. For each of these pizzas, 25p is donated to the Venice in Peril charity. I decided to have this for old time's sake. My son's partner went for a pizza with a Romana base which is fourteen inches in diameter and said to be thinner and crispier than an ordinary base. The one he chose was Al Tirolo, topped with porcini, portabello and closed cup mushrooms, crispy speck ham, garlic oil and parsley, for £9.65. My son had already had two pizzas during the week, so he decided on a Nostrana salad (£8.85) consisting of new potatoes, torn chicken breast, avocado, red peppers, green beans, mixed leaves, parsley, a free-range hard-boiled egg plus house dressing. Bread sticks come with all the salads.

We didn't have to wait long for the starters. I didn't have much of the bruschetta as I wanted to leave room for my pizza, but it was tasty. The tomatoes were raw which surprised me but not in an unpleasant way. Our main courses arrived quite soon after we had finished the starters. We were offered black pepper and parmesan but declined. My Veneziana was not the most amazing pizza ever but I find it a good choice considering the price. It was not overloaded with cheese - I prefer it that way - and I am particularly fond of pine kernels and capers. The sultanas were a little small and rather thin on the ground, but otherwise it was fine. My son and his partner both enjoyed the salad and pizza that they had ordered.

We didn't have a huge amount of room left for dessert. The waitress told us that they had run out of Profiteroles and Bannoffee Pie, but none of us would have chosen those in any case. My son's partner ordered the Coppa Gelato (£3), for which there is a choice of up to two flavours of gelato. He decided on coffee and pistachio. My son and I were interested in the range of Dolcetti, small desserts served with any regular coffee of your choice. I had no trouble choosing the Caffe Gelato (£2.95), a scoop of coffee gelato with a chocolate straw and a coffee bean; I ordered a decaffeinated coffee to go with it. My son decided on the Semi Freddo Reale (£3.40), a gelato made with nougat, praline and marsala wine. He asked for an Americano filter coffee with this. The standard desserts are mostly priced around £4.60.

It wasn't long before the waitress brought our desserts. Once they were on the table, however, we realised that there was no Caffe Gelato. With an apology the waitress said she would go and get it, but unfortunately she picked the Semi Freddo Reale and rushed off to the kitchen. We were left with a small dessert consisting of figs and mascarpone which we hadn't ordered. When the waitress returned with the Caffe Gelato, she then had to take away the unwanted dessert and bring back the Semi Freddo Reale. Eventually we each had what we had ordered, and we did enjoy the gelato. My coffee bean was missing, but it didn't matter enough to warrant any more fuss. I was impressed with my decaffeinated coffee and would go so far as to say it was the best I have ever had.

Our bill came to just under £48 to which we added a tip. Considering we had almost three courses, the price seemed reasonable.

All the time we were there, jazz music was being played at quite a high volume. It made a pleasant change from the usual pop music, but as it was fairly loud people were having to raise their voices to make themselves heard. As a result the whole place seemed rather noisy.

The whole of the front of the restaurant is glass so that you have a view of ferries and boats entering and leaving Portsmouth Harbour. My son and his partner were facing the back of the restaurant where there is a counter and all the salad ingredients are displayed on glass shelving. If you sat at either side wall you might see a little of both worlds.

The waiting staff all seemed very young, friendly and relaxed. Apart from the mix up with our desserts there were no problems, but we did wonder why they didn't write orders down to avoid confusion.

There is a disabled toilet on the ground floor but otherwise you have to climb a metal staircase. The décor in the ladies did not appeal to me with its porthole mirrors and steel basins, but it was clean enough. I remember the unisex toilets in Zizzi's being far more pleasant.

This branch is open seven days a week, from 11.30am until 11pm. If the weather is fine you can sit outside and enjoy the view over Portsmouth Harbour and the Solent. The Spinnaker Tower is just a few yards away. It's a good choice of restaurant for families during the day, and if like us you are in Gunwharf in the evening without a restaurant reservation, you are quite likely to find a table at Pizza Express. While we were there, from 8.15pm until 9.45pm, it was fairly busy but not full to capacity. Right next door is Zizzi's which I do feel is a little superior to Pizza Express; down on the Canalside in Gunwharf is Strada, where I hope I never have to set foot again. Pizza Express for me is middle of the road as Italian chain restaurants go.

Pizza Express
Gunwharf Quays
Portsmouth
Hampshire
PO1 3TA

02392832939

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Summary: Not bad in the evenings