An Italian restaurant serving delicious food at Covent Garden (Ponti's)

Member Name: nixtee

Product:	Ponti's
Date:	01/11/08 (258 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Delicious food, good service

Disadvantages: Ice cream on fruit salad for breakfast...maybe that's an advantage though!

Ponti's in Covent Garden is one of a group of 18 Italian restaurants in and around London.

Ponti's can be found in the Central Market Buildings at Covent Garden. Coming from the tube station, walk straight down the street towards the Central Market Buildings and in through the first arch. Ponti's will be on your left.

Having had breakfast at Ponti's in Covent Garden previously, We decided to go there again while in London this week. One sign of a good restaurant is when the customers return.

Upon entering Ponti's there was a sign saying "Wait here to be seated", but after waiting a few minutes and being passed a few times be staff (who greeted us when they walked past) we decided to seat ourselves. We found a table and sat down. The restaurant was busy, but not full.

The Breakfast menu was on the table and there's plenty to choose from. There's everything from cooked breakfasts (including a vegetarian one), to porridge, baguettes, toast and fruit salad.

Within 5 minutes a waitress came to take our order. Dad went for Ponti's No2 Breakfast Special (Scrambled egg, back bacon, Cumberland sausage, baked beans and toast), while I chose toast & strawberry jam and seasonal fruit salad. We both chose the freshly squeezed orange juice to drink.

As Ponti's cooked breakfasts are cooked to order, we had to wait a bit for our order to arrive, but our drinks were with us almost instantly. I love their freshly squeezed orange juice, it tastes much better than the usual watered down stuff you sometimes get at cafes/restaurants.

Dad's breakfast arrived first, along with my toast. I was disappointed to see that my toast had already been buttered as it's often custom these days to leave the customer to butter their own toast (that and I'm not supposed to eat butter due to being lactose intolerant). I didn't say anything though as it's my own fault for not saying I didn't want butter. I did get to put my own strawberry jam on the toast though.

Then my seasonal fruit salad arrived. It made quite an entrance considering it's just a fruit salad. The people a couple of tables down were commenting on it as it arrived in front of me. After the waitress had disappeared I commented too... My fruit salad from the Breakfast menu had a dollop of ice cream on top! Yet another thing I'm not supposed to eat and not something you expect to be served at breakfast, but I thought I'd give it a go and sod the consequences! The ice cream was delicious (even more so considering it's been quite a while since I ate "real" ice cream). I don't know if they make their own, but it was really nice. Oh, the fruit salad was nice too.

While I was finishing my fruit salad, the waitress fetched a generously sized mug of coffee for Dad.

I can't fault the service of the staff at Ponti's. They are always nearby if you want to order something extra and seem very friendly. Obviously, the fact that we weren't seated by the staff ask per their sign means that I can't really award them the full 5 stars, but otherwise I can't fault them.

Of course, I've only commented on their breakfast menu, but they serve food all day. As they are an Italian restaurant they serve food such as pasta, pizza, soup, meat balls, salads, handmade sandwiches, pastries and other hot dishes. There is also a separate menu for children.

Ponti's also do a takeaway service and even a delivery service for offices.

Their prices seem average for the London and the Covent Garden area and the food is certainly delicious.

I will certainly be visiting Ponti's again when I'm in London and would recommend anyone to when in the Covent Garden area of the city.

Summary: An Italian restaurant serving great food!