A restaurant that opened in Rugby in July 2022 remains absolutely thriving just over 18 months later. An Italian restaurant that is so popular you have to book up many weeks in advance.

We last visited a couple of weeks ago for my wife’s birthday with family. A traditional Italian with a wide selection of dishes including antipasti, pasta, pizza and salads. A balanced menu with a lesser focus on pizza.

Since opening, the restaurant has become a firm family favourite particularly with my wife. While not impossible to get in at short notice, it is always best to plan and book in advance. Last minute availability is sometimes advertised on Facebook. When we tried with little notice on a Saturday we needed to go elsewhere but you can understand that. Bookings in advance do generally require a deposit.

The exterior and interior of the restaurant is welcoming and well thought out. Great decor inside and regular established staff. Tables can be a little close but understandable that the space is limited. However, atmosphere is always good with attentive staff. The staff always being friendly and knowledgable. Only feedback would be that they need to sort some of the tables to stop them rocking as they need a little attention and has not changed in the 18 months since opening.

The kitchen is open plan and you can see in. So many more chefs active nowadays than when the venue opened due to its popularity.

Food quality is excellent and they also have a limited children’s menu and vegan options. While our daughter will always opt for a large pizza, the size is always plenty. I have regularly had the panino ciabatta bread sandwiches which are extremely large. When trying the pasta, I had Linguine Alla Napoletana which was with prawns and chilli. Really good and seasoned really well, which I would definitely order again. My wife always orders the pasta seafood dish Linguine Alla Scotliera with garlic which she loves. Then to end the meal, a browse at the home made dessert display always helps with difficult choices.

Researching on Trip advisor – 81% rated the restaurant as excellent and 92% generally happy. Those that did complain appeared rare and the deposit appearing to be an area of contention. Personally, I do not have an issue with the deposit system as this gets deducted off your bill and allows the venue to manage bookings. My only feedback is that their website needs some improvement.

Overall, we would highly recommend this restaurant. For bookings and menu information, do visit their website:

https://www.ladolcetavola.com

Rating: 5 out of 5.

My quick takes…

(ALL)

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Martin Brophy is the creator of everythingelse.blog, a UK-based culture and entertainment blog covering film, television, live events and nostalgic media. With a background in customer service, logistics, IT and management, he brings a sharp eye for audience experience and value to every review. He is also the creator of Magic Seats, a dedicated content channel spotlighting UK magic shows and performers.

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One response to “La Dolce Tavola – Restaurant (Rugby)”

  1. […] over a year ago in January 2024 and wrote a review at the time expressing how much I enjoyed it (here). Would things still be as good and would there be any […]

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