Over the Winter break my favourite dining partner and I headed to Bath for a couple of days of relaxation before the Christmas festivities began. On choosing a restaurant for our lunch time arrival we took to TripAdvisor to find out where had been well reviewed. It’s unusual for the top 10 to be affordable let alone number 1, so we were surprised to see such rave reviews associated with what looked like a very reasonably priced restaurant Sotto Sotto.
Sotto Sotto describes its menu as ‘classic Italian with a contemporary twist’. Situated just a few steps away from the Roman Baths, Sotto Sotto’s candlelit vaulted cellars with bare stone walls invites you to have a unique dining experience.
Appletisers poured 😉 we were served a portion of fresh bread in a wee brown paper bag.
We set things off with a Bruschetta Classica and starter of Calamaretti Fritti ai Sette Sapori to share.
The bruschetta was brilliantly garlicky which is apparently what the toasted tuscan bread is rubbed with, yum. Topped with vine ripened tomatoes marinated with (even more) garlic, basil and EV olive oil – extra yum.
The Calamaretti Fritti came in a brown bag on a wooden board, continuing the rustic Italian look. The squid coated in ‘seven herbs’ was served with lemon in a muslin cloth and garlic aioli. It was tasty, but perhaps the calamaretti was a tad undercooked – I would have prefered it to be crispier.
Sotto Sotto offer a selection of pasta and risotto dishes, as well as salads, specialities and pizzas. We both opted for a pasta dish as we guessed that’s what Sotto Sotto would do best. I went for the Penne alla Vodka and my dining partner chose the Linguine al Profumo di Mare.
Although penne alla vodka is a relatively simple dish made up of fresh tomato sauce, cream, pancetta, onions and a splash of vodka it was absolutely delicious. The pasta was cooked beautifully al dente, the only negative was that the pancetta was a bit too chewy, slightly overdone.
My dining partner enjoyed the linguine al profumo di mare, linguine pasta with a mix of fresh seafood, a touch of pinot grigio, fresh cherry tomatoes and chilli. Apart from the overwhelmingly herby tomato sauce, the pasta and seafood were fresh and perfectly cooked.
For dessert my dining partner choose the Tartufi de Cioccolato, a selection of handmade truffles which judging by the noises he made when he was eating them – I think they were enjoyable!
I went for the Profitterol al Limoncello. The crispy outer shell of the choux pastry hid fresh white chocolate custard. Served cold, limoncello sauce coated the profiteroles. It was delightful!
Despite the minor criticisms, we really enjoyed our meal at Sotto Sotto. The staff were friendly and the three course meal cost us under £50 – if you’re visiting Bath it’s definitely worth booking.
Details
ADDRESS: 10 N Parade, Bath, Avon BA2 4AL
CONTACT: 01225 330236
OPENING HOURS: Monday to Sunday 12:00pm – 2:00pm and 5:00pm – 10:00pm
WEBSITE: www.sottosotto.co.uk
FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/pages/Sotto-Sotto
TWITTER: @sottosottobath
Just another London foodie 