For as long as I can remember, The Man and I have always sought out new places to eat whenever we’ve gone away, whether that be in the UK or abroad. Thinking about it, it’s probably this common love of travel, food and ‘poking about’ that drew us together…as well as the fact that His Nibs can cook up a storm, whereas I just get distracted and burn stuff! Anyhow, that’s by-the-by, the narrative here is centred around our visit to Somerset with The Mans’ day job, so I’ll crack on.
Having booked a room at The Congresbury Arms Hotel and eaten in their 2AA-Rosetted restaurant the previous night, we decided to spread our wings and see what other venues were in the area. Just a few miles from Congresbury is another village called Cleeve, where Italian eaterie ‘Alfresco Cucina Italiana’ can be found. For the size of venue, there isn’t overly much parking onsite but, having booked an early evening table (6.30pm), we managed to grab a spot around the back of the restaurant.
The slight chill meant that the rather snazzy [covered] outside terrace wasn’t being used; even with the heaters going it would still have been a bit too cool. However, our disappointment was short-lived as we stepped inside. Alfresco’s interior is very stylish; open plan, with a quite magnificent mural/fresco on one wall – I’m not au fait with the intricacies of application (and our table wasn’t near it) so I honestly couldn’t tell you which it exactly was. However, I can tell you that it was huge and beautiful and that it depicted a [possibly Venetian] waterway and building scene. The muted tones within the wall painting were picked up by a neutral colour scheme that was based around calming green, creating a relaxed (but chic) environment in which to dine and/or sup.
Our server took us over to our table, a dark wood number that was nestled in an elevated alcove near the window; perfect for people watching. We were offered table water straight away and our order of Nero d’Avola wine and a pint of Birra Moretti was soon winging its way to us. Alfresco offers a super range of aperitifs and cocktails, if that’s more your thing, as well as spirits of all kinds. With our drinks order on the table, it was time to turn our attention to food…and there is certainly plenty to tempt you!
To begin, I ordered the Bresaola Al Carpaccio (£12), and His Nibs fancied the sound of the Parmigiana Arancini (£10). Both starters were beautifully presented and of a more than generous size; first impression? Chef’s a feeder! Before His Nibs tucked in, our server spooned over plenty of finely grated Parmesan which instantly began to soften with the heat from the Arancini’s surface. Rather than smaller, individual Arancini, Alfresco serves its diners a single, larger sphere, and this delight comes surrounded by a lake of unctuous Tomato Ragu that was intensely flavoursome on the palate. Surrounded by a marvellously crisp, golden crumb outer, the centre was revealed to be closely packed rice with a molten core of Aubergine and aged Parmesan that produced ribbons when cut into. The combination of tastes and texture soon had The Man cooing with happiness, as well as quelling those pesky initial pangs of hunger.
You know those initial impressions that Chef was a feeder? Yep, they were bang on the money! I think an entire cow’s air-dried, salt-cured flesh was on my plate; not that I was going to complain about that fact as it was incredibly tasty. Notes of earthiness hit my taste buds, surprisingly delicate as opposed to full on whoomph; the texture was super tender and I fell hard for the clean, bold meatiness that really pops thanks to zero fat being evident (as opposed to the typical amounts you get with Salami and Prosciutto). Toasted Pine Nuts were the perfect mix of creamy, nutty and ‘toasty’, complemented by peppery Rocket leaves and musky Truffle Oil and Parmesan shavings. If it’s head-on, unapologetic flavours you crave, then this starter is the one for you.
As our second course, we’d ordered Gamberi e Zucchine Risotto (£18.50, my choice) and Tagliatelle con Ragu di Manzo (£16, His Nibs’ dish), with a Mixed Salad on the side (£6). Even a simple Salad is given the star treatment at Alfresco, comprised of mixed, chopped Lettuce, halved Cherry Tomatoes, peppery Rocket, and finely sliced Red Onion that were all drizzled with a Balsamic glaze. Cool, crisp and colourful, this salad dropped main character energy!
Key to any fantastic Risotto is creamy, nutty, lightly firm to the bite rice, whether it be Arborio or Carnaroli, and the dish before me couldn’t have been executed any better; it was perfect! The starch within the rice made the texture feel like silk in my mouth and the stock and wine used in cooking had all been absorbed, permeating through every grain. Juicy, plump King Prawns were plentiful, sweet and fragrant, assisted in hypnotising my senses by the mild earthiness and ping of the citrus-fried Courgette slices. Gentle hints of Garlic and Mint came through as well, making this a gorgeously multi-layered meal.
His Nibs’ Tagliatelle was also precisely al-dente, revealing a smidge of ‘bite’ to its ribbons when chewed. There’s something tantalising about thick lengths of pasta that have rich sauces clinging to their surface, and the homemade Ragu was doing just that. Minced Beef had been slow-cooked for 8 hours so it melted instantly on the tongue, leaving its deep flavour to linger a while longer in the mouth. Classic and relatively simple, a well done Bolognese can’t be beaten, and Alfresco does a cracking job according to His Nibs.
What I’m about to say may shock many of you, so please make sure you’re sitting down. I didn’t opt for Tiramisu for dessert, even though it was on the menu! I just liked the sound of the Crostata di Mela (£7.50), soft pastry filled with Caramelised Apples and Custard, served warm with Vanilla Ice Cream. The lattice-topped, buttery pastry tart was crammed with pieces of softened Apple and Sultana that topped a custard layer, making for a velvety, creamy, not overly sweet conclusion to my meal. Accompanying the warm tart was a cool (not cold) Vanilla Ice Cream that was mellow and smooth; a beautiful pairing if ever there was one.
Kicking the dessert trend was clearly in the air for us, as His Nibs chose two scoops of Lemon-, and one scoop of Blueberry- Sorbet (£5.10). Served in a tall Sundae glass to showcase the layers, the two fruit flavours burst on to The Man’s palate with unbridled gusto! Palate cleansing? Here’s your dynamic duo. Bright, clean citrus hit the senses first, followed by the sweeter Blueberry variety, proof that Sorbet isn’t a second-class citizen in the sweet world!
Throughout the evening, Alfresco’ s team had ensured we’d wanted for nothing and that their food was to our liking. However, they weren’t quite finished yet…a pair of chilled Limoncello shots were offered as a final flourish, compliments of the management. How nice was that? So, would we go back to Alfresco in Cleeve? Absolutely we would, so I’m happy to award Hot Wings to this marvellous Somerset restaurant.
As well as the Risotto and Pasta dishes we had, there is also Pizza on offer, as well as Fish and Steak dishes. Children are most welcome at Alfresco, and even have their own menu to choose from. To book a table, call 01934 838811 or visit www.alfrescocleeve.co.uk and hit the ‘book now’ button. If you want a table within an hour, then please call the team or they may not see the online booking! Alfresco is open Mon-Sat Noon-3pm and then 5.30pm-10.30pm, Sunday Noon-9pm.
