CityLife

Il Pepe Nero

Il Pepe Nero

Il Pepe Nero
Chorlton
August 2010

Average three-course cost: £23

Overall: 3/5
Decor: 3/5, Service: 4/5, Food: 3/5

It's important to have a good serving of humour and a healthy sprinkling of character with a meal out, and I was pleased to find both at a new Italian restaurant in Chorlton.

Il Pepe Nero has opened on Barlow Moor Road and it has charming service.

On our visit, we soon met the ‘black pepper’ from which the place takes its name, in a comedy oversized pepper mill, the biggest I’ve seen, being ground over a customer’s meal as if nothing was unusual, but with a cheeky smile by a floppy-haired Italian waiter.

And while I’m not suggesting this is the joke of the century, good humour continued in the service.

We were greeted with big, believable smiles by a young waiter and the pepper-pot-yielding boss, who made us feel welcome and relaxed.

The restaurant was simple and elegant with cool colours, smart wooden floors and on-street seating, but the lighting is a bit harsh.

But the staff provided the character, with engaging chatter as we ordered our wine, served up in extra large glasses and topped up throughout the night.

There was a full authentic menu of appetizers, antipasti, pasta and risottos, meat courses, pizzas and sides – all the favourites and more.

We opted for a bowl of garlicky and generous mixed olives (£3.50).

Starters were the Formaggio di Capra (£5.10) – goat’s cheese with crispy salad, basil and balsamic vinegar dressing.

While the goat’s cheese was a beautiful texture, it could have done with more of the salad and a bigger glug of balsamic, a super-rich starter which I was glad to share.

On the Antipasto all’Italiana (£6.80) – Italian meat selection – the meat was of a similar quality, but I’ve had antipasto dishes which have packed a bigger punch presentation-wise.

As a pasta fiend, I hesitated on this section of the menu, with tempting sauces splashed with cream, wine and garlic to pick from for around £8.

But I moved on to the meat dishes, all served with potatoes and vegetables.

Here prices crept up significantly, and you can spend £20 on a steak.

My choice was the Pollo alla Monte (£13.90) – chicken with dolce latte cheese, asparagus, ham and cream.

I would have preferred a more velvety sauce, and while it was very tasty, I was reminded slightly of mum-made sauce for a cauliflower cheese.

A variety of veg sat with amazing roasted potatoes.

Over the table was the Bistecca Monte Bianco (£16.90) – sirloin steak with red wine and marsala sauce, topped with mozzarella cheese.

The steak was reasonably-sized, a well-cooked medium, and while the sauce was more gravy-like than expected, the mozzarella was a welcome addition.

Between courses we revelled in more banter with our waiter, and I chortled along.

Shared dessert was a creme brulee which crisped beautifully under the spoon and went hand in hand with the accompanying sweet strawberries.

We finished off with liqueur coffees and I picked up the bill, prompting more chat from our waiter.

While you could fork out more here for dinner than in other Chorlton eateries, especially with a 10 per cent service charge on parties of six or more, you can also pop in for a pizza and a glass of wine for about £10, weekday early birds (5pm to 6.30pm) get a 20 per cent discount, and there is a cheaper lunchtime menu.

As a big fan of Italian flavours, I left thinking I would like to try so many of the other dishes on the menu.

The friendly service was attentive not stifling, yet it felt like nothing would be too much trouble, and it is more restaurant-like than some popular pizza parlours. They could tweak the ambience with some mellow lighting and make the setting as colourful as the service, but the place oozes warmth.

With time for chat between courses, this is a place where you could linger as long as the Italians do over an unhurried multi-course dinner.

On a Chorlton road where businesses seem to come and go, I hope this one gets a good run  – it’s the kind of place you want to succeed.

» Il Pepe Nero, 569 Barlow Moor Road, Chorlton, Manchester, M21 8AE, 0161 881 0202.