Mama Mia whatta great place to eata (Prezzo (Norwich))

Member Name: yackers1

Product:	Prezzo (Norwich)
Date:	05/11/08 (179 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: great food, great wine, great service, great atmosphere

Disadvantages: Tables too close together, limited selection of beers, expensive

Until I met my partner I had never tried Italian food, and never tried Prezzos. What a big mistake that was - but I have now been converted.

At first I had nothing to compare Prezzos to, but after experiencing a few more Italian restaurants around Norfolk, and further afield as the opportunities have arisen I have come to realise what a great place Prezzos in Norwich actually is.
The restaurant is always busy, every night of the week, and to avoid disappointment at the busiest times it is advisable to book in advance.

Prezzos is located right near the bridge at the bottom of Prince of Wales Road, making it the ideal location (if you are on foot). If you are driving then the nearest car parks are the Riverside multi storey or the train station. Neither of these are a long way from the restaurant.

Prezzos looks nice and cosy from the outside, which is always a good start. Upon entering you are greeted by friendly, pleasant staff that appear to be happy and pleased to see you. The staff here cannot do enough for you - they are probably a bit too friendly and forever topping up wine glasses as they walk past your table.

The decor is stylish, classy and modern. It makes for an excellent, comfortable atmosphere and one that is a pleasure to be in.

I won't bother going through the menu - this appears in many other reviews and the full menu can be downloaded from prezzoplc.co.uk.

I will briefly summarise that it includes:

1) A wide variety of pasta dishes from Spaghetti Napoletana to Penne Arrabbiata (which with its chilies in tomato sauce with garlic is my personal favourite and highly recommended!)
2) Risotto dishes
3) Alfornao dishes
4) A variety of chicken dishes
5) Salads
6) A variety of pizzas from the 'basic' margherita to quattro Stagioni. Again these pizzas are large, filling and very tasty ;and
7) The house specialties.

In addition there are starters, side orders and desserts. My girlfriend is not a big eater, therefore we have a small starter of a cheesy garlic bread.

The food is very reasonably priced. Service (as mentioned before) comes with a smile and is very prompt - even at busy times. If there is a wait then you are informed from the outset, giving you the choice to wait or go elsewhere. I don't know of any other restaurant that does this as it is sacrilege to potentially turn customers away even if they do get annoyed and start moaning when they have to wait a long time to be seated. I would never give Prezzos a miss even when there is a long wait. The atmosphere is so friendly and welcoming that it is a pleasure to sit in and chat whilst waiting.

It does not appear to be a family place, luckily in Norwich there is Fatsos, Frankie and Bennys (DO NOT GO THERE), Pizza Hut and many others. There are too many to list that are more family orientated close by. Consequently there are no screaming kids, angry parents etc about, making it ideal for those quiet meals.

The background music is soft and not over-powering. It is not cheesy like other places - a refreshing change.

The toilets are clean, adequate and regularly checked. The only complaint is that they are upstairs - but this does not really create too many issues, unless stairs are a problem.

As with all places there are some disadvantages, little things that could be changed to make it better, but these are minimal at Prezzos.

Some of the tables are bit close together - but I think this is a complaint in all eateries.

There is a very limited selection of beers in that there is one bottled beer! Luckily, I have been converted to drinking wine with meals. The selection isn't huge but it consists of all types that you would want. I cannot comment on the reds or the roses but the whites are very nice. We usually go for the Lugana Doc, it is highly recommended. Unfortunately, this can only be bought by the bottle (and at nearly £17 per bottle it is quite expensive), this applies to most wines that cannot be bought by the glass.
Drinks are quite expensive but this is to be expected as it applies at all restaurants.

After you have eaten you are not kicked out of the restaurant straight away. The staff appear content to let you sit there for a while and let the digestive process start - as long as you don't out-stay your welcome.

Overall this Prezzos is fantastic - and can't really be faulted. So, if you ever come to Norwich and fancy a nice place to eat then try Prezzos. You won't be disappointed.

The address is 2 - 6 Thorpe Road (opposite the train station), Norwich, NR1 1RY. tel 01603 660404.

Summary: Authentic Italian food served in the heart of Norwich