Strada Restaurant

Having spent several years in Italy, I know what to expect from Italian food. I also know, from friends working in restaurants, that a lot of so-called Italian restaurants here are actually owned by people who are not only Italian, but not even European! While the basic concept of Italian food is not hard to understand and can be replicated by anyone, perfecting it is quite another matter, and satisfying the demanding taste of the pleasure eater is harder than just filling a drunken stomach with any greasy pizza. Alright - So I don't know who actually owns Strada, and if they're Italian or not. But if they aren't, they must have spent ages researching the ...  Read the complete review

I exclusively visit the Strada Manchester so my review is based purely on that outlet. In terms of the building it is has been opened alongside several chain restaurants in the new Spining Fields area of town, conveniently next door to where i work which allows me to take advantage of the restaurant at lunch and in the evening The interior is contemporary, relaxing but lacks any real character and i have never visited when it has been more than 50% full so you can feel isolated and cold when dinning. Service as whole is friendly but at times lacks urgency especially considering they never seem to have much trade. The lunch ...  Read the complete review

I've never understood the fascination with Strada. And I *love* Italian food. I'd visited a couple of the restaurants before: one in Leamington Spa and one in Richmond. But sadly my experience had been of bland, under seasoned food at high prices. However, I tried to give the chain another chance when wandering the streets with a friend in Covent Garden. I knew she loved it so I suggested we ate there. It was a Tuesday evening, about 7.30 pm and very busy. We waited for 10 minutes and were then seated in a very peculiar offside room which was a bit dark and dingy, but very private and good for conversation and we weren't going to complain, they'd clearly made ...  Read the complete review

I eat out a lot but I had never eaten out at Strada until only recently where I dined at Strada restaurants twice a month. The first experience was in the Newcastle restaurant which was pleasant but average and the second in the Birmingham ICC restaurant where the experience was slightly below average. Before dining here a close friend had raved about how good the food was and what a "posh Italian" this was after she had dined at Strada. Being honest I thought it was exactly the same as Zizzi's or Est Est Est; average only slightly more pricey. ***Restaurant / Location*** Strada is described on the website as "all about great ...  Read the complete review

I really like Strada, it is an excellent restaurant and I am never disappointed by a meal there. Of course, I can't speak for every Strada but the staff at my local one are always friendly and helpful. The food is great, although perhaps a wider selection of pasta would be good. Their pizzas are great, however, as are their puddings. In fact, I can't go to Strada without tucking into their fondente al cacao, which is absolutely to die for! Deals are available, and they have a fixed price lunch menu, which is a good deal for such nice food. The prices are slightly more expensive than their competitors however, but I do feel the quality of food and ambience is infinitely ...  Read the complete review