Diner For Two
Topolino Duo, Brighton
Nothing beats a good spontaneous diner with the person you love, especially when the food is good.
Last night Mr.Boyfriend indulged me and took me to a shop I wanted to visit across town. After yet again unsuccessful shopping spread we decided that the weather is just too good for us to go straight back home, so we park by the sea and took a nice long walk into town. On our way back to the car we passed by a small cute looking Italian restaurant and since we both were starving already, we decided to pay it a visit.
While Topolino Duo doesn't strike as a fancy place, we were greeted more than politely and warmly and were offered any table that suits us. Few short seconds afterwards we were presented with the menus and let to decide what we are having. Being very hungry we ordered two big main courses to share - Pizza Volcano - advertised as pizza for two - and from the list with today's specials - Red Tomato Sauce Mussels. A respectable lady with thick Italian accent warned us that this is plenty of food for just two people but we insisted on it. For drinks we had a bottle of Peroni each.
The food arrived promptly after just enough time. We could see the chef preparing our pizza kneading the dough and throwing it above his head, just like they do in movies. They baked the pizza in one of these huge charcoal ovens that mark the food with the unmistakable slightly bitter taste of fire and aroma of home-made goods. We were more than pleased with the pizza, huge and full with veggies, cheese, mozzarella, ham and sausage. It was a delightful dish, probably one of the best pizzas I have ever had.
The Mussels arrived in the traditional cooking dish and the amount we were served was abundant. The also serve them with home made chips, so this is an extra point for them. The mussels were nice and fresh, the flesh was tender and well cooked, the sauce complementing their taste just right.
Just as the matrona had warned us - the food turned out to be way too much for just the two of us. We finished the mussels since there is no way we can reheat them at home later on and asked the left-over pizza to be pack for take-away.
During the whole evening the staff was attentive and friendly without being patronizing and annoying. We felt welcomed and well taken care of and we simply loved the food. While the restaurant doesn't strike with amazing atmosphere and no paintings in heavy frames are hanging on the walls, this place compensates with the feeling that you're in your local bistro, just around the corner in your favorite cute and quite Italian rural village. And this feeling - this is priceless!
Food: 9/10
Service: 7/10
Interior: 6/10
Location: 8/10
Pricing: 9/10
Overall Grade: 8/10
Would we go back: Hell YEAH! Give me good pizza made with good ingredients and cold beer and I'm set for lifetime. And if you offer fresh seafood on reasonable prices - I'll be yours until the end of times!
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