There are few restaurants that I get back to with so many, many places on my list, but Bernardi is one of them. This great little restaurant opened in 2015, just as I started to notice a serious Aussie takeover in the restaurant scene and, in my opinion, is an excellent example of how well we do it.
It’s not an overly complicated menu. No death by cheese dishes. Just a light flavoursome approach to Italian food. I say grab a group and go for as many dishes as you can to taste a good range of the menu.
Previously I’ve been for dinner twice – always making sure I get some of their beautiful, light pizzettes and a stack of other light bites to share. Then comes the deliberation of the pasta or something from the secondi menu (even I struggle for all of it). I’ve gone both and have never been disappointed.
However, today was all about lunch. A lovely treat with my work buddies for my bday. You have a choice here of a really reasonable set menu (2 courses £18) or a la carte. I went for a crostini with olive tapenade & prosciutto not wanting anything too heavy. Look at the size of this thing!!!
I’m calling it that a piece of toast and a half a deli counter of prosciutto! Very nice though, and all in all there is nothing to complain about with generous serves.
I noticed yesterday on Instagram that practically everyone in the world seemed to eat pasta for dinner last night and I had a serious case of envy, so now was the time to rectify this. It was a vegetarian dish: broccoli & chilli in a very light broth type sauce. Delicious, the texture of the pasta was perfect and I didn’t walk away feeling like I had OD’d on carbs.
The restaurant itself is a really nice space, with a great little bar down stairs for the evening. In the last year & a half that they have been opened I’ve been about 4 times (that’s a lot for me) and it is always a lovely experience. The quality never drops and neither does the flavour.
Value for money: fantastic. A nice meal out that doesn’t break the bank, disappoint or leave you hungry
Service: what can I say, an Aussie business knows how to do good service
Reservations: yes. For an evening meal most definitely.
Jilltopia 