Tastes of Italy rekindled in heart of Leeds

Gino D’Acampo’s Leeds restaurant has a new summer menu and so there didn’t seem to be any more reasons needed for a Sunday night treat.

My first choice when headed for sunnier climes is deep-fried calamari with courgettes and peppers so when in Rome and all that. It was the ideal choice pre main course and was light, tasty as was the salty parma ham and creamy buffalo that the other half had.

We had been tempted by the arancini risotto balls but that might have to be for next time I get a longing for European snacks – next week?

The mains list is extensive and is packed full of pizza, pasta and toppings from sausage to seafood. King Prawn linguine is new and to be recommended for summer bites too, as is the crispy duck which stood out as an obvious choice for the rich cherry sauce it was drizzled in.

I couldn’t resist ordering swordfish which was cooked in lemon and herbs and the flavours were present yet subtle while the fish was perfect in texture. A smattering of fries and green beans to share made both dishes just right in portion size.

Italians do ice-cream well, as we know, but we chose the new dishes again with lemon cake and an apricot and kirsch tart, and crumbled and had a scoop of the limoncello ice cream too.

For a three course meal it was ideal.

Light, refreshing and a little bit naughty while basking in the evening sun with a prosecco just as you would abroad.