Prezzo Italian, a restaurant that closed a few years ago, has recently reopened in Rugby. It’s back in its original location, having had a fresh coat of paint and a refit. It’s unusual for a restaurant to reopen after such a long closure, but it’s good news for Rugby, which could do with more dining options. They are also well located near the theatre.
Historically, the food was always good, but the restaurant furniture was a bit tired. The staff, while polite, were perhaps a little distant and not as outgoing as you would hope. Would this have changed?
We were warmly greeted by the manager, who made us feel welcome as we sat down. The staff were all excellent, and we were looked after by a personable young lady who was incredibly welcoming and eager to please. She had a great sense of humour and was just lovely. The restaurant is lucky to have her on staff. Even when one small thing went wrong, she efficiently corrected it and ensured our dining experience remained excellent.
We had booked our table in advance and even though was arrived early, this was not a problem. We were confirmed that we had a taste card, and our orders were taken efficiently. The menu offered a wide selection of main courses, from starters and pizza to burgers and pasta, as well as a specials menu.
Once ordered, the starters arrived fairly quickly, within acceptable times. My Ham and Mozzarella Pastacini was really good and enjoyable. It consisted of four macaroni pasta breaded balls with chilli sauce. A great choice. My wife opted for Oven-Baked Creamy Mushrooms. She enjoyed it and said it was tasty, but she would have preferred not to have the mushrooms sliced so small. It wasn’t a big deal, just a personal preference.
We noticed that some staff were handling the cutlery by the cutting end instead of by the handles between courses, which would be the only feedback we had. However, they did efficiently reset cutlery between courses.
Both our mains were excellent. For my carbonara, I ordered chicken as well, which was very tasty and a decent portion size. I also loved the bacon. My wife’s King Prawn & Salmon Rigatoni was enjoyable too. She was worried at first that there wasn’t enough sauce, but she quickly discovered that a quick stir sorted it.
While we didn’t have desserts, this menu looked really good. There were many options I would have chosen, but we needed to get to the cinema. The menu was also supported by great pictures depicting choices to order.
We were impressed with the food and the 2 for 1 offer on the taste card made the pricing good. They deserved a tip, and we definitely would go back and recommend it as a very good experience. We wanted to pass on thanks to the manager for the experience by their team. Hopefully they may see this. We were a 6pm booking on 31-Oct.
Thanks to Rugby Prezzo team.
Service
Rating: 4.5 out of 5.
Food
Rating: 4.5 out of 5.
Overall
Rating: 4.5 out of 5.
Menu Selections
Oven-Baked Creamy Mushrooms
Roasted mushrooms baked in a rich and creamy cacio e pepe cheesy sauce, bubbling hot from the oven, served with toasted focaccia bread
£8.75
Ham and Mozzarella Pastacini
Our twist on arancini – macaroni pasta baked with gooey mozzarella and shredded ham, coated in golden breadcrumbs. Served with a creamy chilli sauce and topped with parmesan
£8.95
Spaghetti Carbonara
Spaghetti in a creamy sauce with pancetta, crispy prosciutto and Italian cheese
£16.95 (plus £3 for chicken)
Creamy King Prawn & Salmon Rigatoni
Rigatoni in a creamy mascarpone, garlic and white wine sauce with juicy king prawns, smoked salmon and spinach, finished with fresh parsley
£19.45
