Itching for a coffee in town but seeking to avoid the Bank Holiday crowds & the queues in the…read moreghastly Starbucks et al, I ambled towards Camden Road. It's amazing that I have no real knowledge of the various stores here. I guess it's because it leads away from where I live, but it strikes me I need to make amends - pronto! There is a whole host of independent retailers & restaurants along here; presumably attracted by cheaper rents and possibly a less corporate feel. Like Brighton's Laines or antique shops the whole nation over, it often pays for similar places to huddle close together. Anyway, it's going to be a goldmine of interesting experiences & reviews!!! This place has clearly been transferred from Naples lock, stock and barolo!!! There are various flags, posters and produce about you just don't see in the UK. Italian staff and music (not Dean Martin stuff....proper stuff) and an interior that is so un-Cafe Nero and so cheap as to take you straight to the real Italy as opposed to the hell that is the Costa Coffee Marketing Department Italy. The menu was a triumph in minimalism. Ten choices, no starters, one pud. Pasta, tomatoes, anchovy and simple pizzas only. Just like Naples again. Furthermore, they seem to sell staple Italian larder products which you won't see in Tesco. Not a deli exactly, just useful...... What an inspiring place. I hope people will make the effort to visit. What is the point of going to fake Euro eateries when the real ones are under our noses? Five stars!

I've been coming here every week for a while with my boyfriend…read more We love the ambience, the food and the service. They specialise in Truffle, black and white (when in season)! Every time we go there I try something different and I am never disappointed, so far my favourite dish is the truffle gnocchi. LOVE IT!! I highly recommend this lovely little gem, BEST Italian food around!

We wanted to try Mamma Mia for some months, although…read moreconscious it never appeared to be very busy when walking past. We went for dinner on Tuesday evening. Service courteous and prompt, although only another two parties were dining in at the same time. My companion and I took a while to browse the menu as there is quite a lot of choice (more than on the website), although it was unusual not to find a specials menu too. My companion had avocado & bacon salad (Insalate di Carmine) and I had white bait (Bianchetti Fritti). There was a well presented salad garnish with each; however, my white bait was missing any form of dip such as garlic mayonnaise or tartar sauce so I was very disappointed. There was also no bread povided, however, this was available to buy on the menu. My companion had Sirloin Steak (Bistecca Alla Tivoli) and I had King Prawns (Gamberoni Amalfi). As they were unusual, we shared a side order of Friarielli turnip tops cooked in olive oil with garlic, a bitter tasting dish. Vegetables of the day were few and far between, mine consisted of five limp green beans, three carrot wedges and two pieces of broccoli. We both had several fries but as with the vegetables, not enough to make a portion. We were disappointed to find the dessert menu was the kind you find in an Indian Restaurant with the frozen ice creams. My companion had profiteroles (Profiteroles Scuro) and I had apple and calvados ice cream. The ice cream was an unusual variety so a nice experience to try, however, the desserts were nothing special. I drank a large glass of house white and am pleased I did not order a bottle as it was disappointing, lacking depth and character. Unlike the other reviewers experience, we had no liquors or chocolates with the bill, just two cheap mints. There were no tea lights and I cannot comment on the toilet as I did not need to visit. I left still hungry and came home to have something to eat. Whilst not the worst meal we have had, it cannot complete with Palio or Zizzi, so I will not be visiting again through choice.

I love this restaurant, I have been many times for various reasons and have always had a great…read moredining experience. romantic meals with my partner, dinner with girl-friends, meals with parents, lunch and dinner. Although Tunbridge wells is drowning in italian restaurants I feel this one is a little bit special, there's a good choice of staters, the calamari is lovely (much better than the frozen, chewy version over at Prezzo) and there's a huge choice of main meals, all decent sized portions. The prices are average for tunbridge wells, and the childrens meal is good value with garlic bread, a main and ice cream with plenty of colouring in! (although have never seen many children in here. The little touches like chocolates when they bring the bill, a little shot of something at the end of an evening dinner (limoncello ice-cold was delicious) and tealights scattered around are added pluses. I also really like the loos.

This really is a restaurant that relies on it's owners name from TV work. the food is below average…read moreat best average, and i'm being kind. Nothing exciting, offering nothing that you could not buy better from any Waitrose store. All in all just nothing that would encourage me to go back. Went in to the same groups restaurant in Blue water and had the very same experience. It's about time that Italian restaurants and others realised they are living on ghosts in the corridors and dreams of when their food was better than ours. that was a loooooong time ago, and is certainly not true now. My final thoughts...would not waste my money on very average food and very average service.

Busy place when we went there. Guess it's where locals have their lunch breaks…read more Italian cuisine. We went for a 2-meal offer with entry and main. Bruschetta and chicken respectively. We were a little disappointed that the chicken weren't served with any extras other than lettuce. It could have been nice with some potatoes with parsley for instance. Gave it 3 stars although I am sure that the staff earns more. I think, if we had one of the pasta meals that looked great and slightly more expensive, it would have been a 4 star experience.

On Sunday evening I dined at Il Vesuvio in Camden Road,…read moreTunbridge Wells. This Neapolitan restaurant had been recommended by several friends. We received a warm welcome from the owner and I was surprised how busy the restaurant was with families and couples enjoying celebratory and usual meals on a Sunday evening. Service was friendly and prompt throughout and we received complimentary herb breadsticks whilst waiting for our starters. I found the menu to be comprehensive with lots of dishes you wouldn't' find at the chain restaurants. I started with seafood pancake which was recommended to me by the owner (after I had narroed down the choice to two dishes) who explained it was on the menu as it was her favourite. The pancake was hot and delicious and a must if you enjoy seafood. My companion who had dined here several times before, chose a starter they had not had before bruschetta with mushroom cream which they enjoyed. My main course was minced beef meatballs with roast potatoes rather than spaghetti. The roast potatoes were small and all deliciously crispy just how I like them. The meatballs were filling and nice too. I wasn't offered any parmesan cheese which was disappointing but I could have asked for this when they asked whether everything was okay (being an English Gentleman, of course I just said it was!). My companion enjoyed the steak which was cooked just how he asked. For dessert I chose from the special menu a homemade strawberry sponge cake topped with fresh strawberries, cream and chopped nuts. This was a delicious and refreshing end to my meal. My companion choose Chocolate Pannacotta which was nice. We were offered complimentary Limoncello after our meal which is always a nice touch. The owner took time to ask whether we had joined the restaurants Facebook page where there are currently over 700 fans! The family have also recently opened a restaurant in Maidstone too, which I think goes to prove the success of their business. I really enjoyed my dining experience here and will be taking friends and family here in the future to experience the tasty home cooked food and friendly hospitality.

A very authentic welcome awaits you at this family run Italian restaurant. The atmoshphere is…read morecharming and the service very good. I particularly like the way in which the lunchtime menu is light and affordable, contrasting with a more sophisticated evening menu. Making it somwhere to 'pop in' for lunch and somewhere delightful to dine at night. Well worth a visit, the homemade lasagna in particular comes highly recommended! Not quite as good as the nearby Chez JJ....but close!

These guys run an 'authentic' wood fired oven & serve some of the best pizzas in town. They're…read morelocated opposite Sankeys & The Spice Club on Mount Ephraim in what is surely becoming the mid price & high quality centre of town eating. They offer starters and a decent wine selection alongside a good run of tapas options. They also offer take away pizzas that wipe the floor with Dominos and Pizza Huts sorry offerings (albeit the latter has shut, you know what I mean!). Really worthy of support, reasonably priced and central. Support!

With chain restaurants it is the service that makes all the difference. Having dined here twice in…read morethe past two weeks I can say with conviction that the service is immaculate, and the waiter who served my table on both occasions was extremely friendly and appropriately attentive. He also gets massive bonus points for being so kind and helpful when I start to explain that I would like a pizza without the cheese, it is amazing the amount of people in the service industry who seem bewildered that you require their attention more than just to point at something on the menu. The food is what you would expect from an Italian restaurant, all though Zizzi do seem to have conveyed some original flair and a sense of Italian authenticity with large flat rectangular pizzas and, a particular favourite of mine, long dough sticks as opposed to balls. I very much enjoyed being seated in the upstairs conservatory area, whilst remaining indoors away from the elements, the light and airiness of the room made it perfect for an English Summer Evening. Big thumbs up all round, the Pizza Express directly opposite should be wary.

Great Italian in a little country town......YAY!…read more Ok, ok.......I know this is a chain, but I finally had to try it the other night...... We were very pleased! The food was fantastic! We started off with the ITALIAN BREAD BOARD, which consisted of; Altamura, dough sticks and olive breads, fresh baked and served with balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil....Oh, so yummy! For dinner I had the DIAVOLA Pizza; Spicy pepperoni with Roquito and green chillis, juicy tomato and mozzarella.....OMG! Spicy, but oh so good! My husband had the FETTUCINE ALLA CARBONARA which had; a pancetta creamy sauce, and more crisp pancetta on top. He really loved it. To top it off we ordered a bottle of PROMESSA ORGANIC MERLOT-SYRAH, from PUGLIA.....did I mention, YUMMY!! The service was really wonderful and the waiters were fantastic! The ambiance was delightful and well lit. Very clean indeed! I give this place 2 thumbs up and will be back!