24 Churchill Way, Cardiff, 029 2034 3424
Toni Venditto has been a fixture in the Welsh food scene for the last 20 years. Having owned and run several very successful restaurants – Il Padrino, Topo Gigio, Da Venditto’s – and awarded two AA Rosettes, several accolades and a couple of clubs in between, following a few years’ break he’s back in the capital with his latest venture, Amici’s.
A cosy basement restaurant with rustic decor and simple furnishings, the emphasis here is on the food. The menu boasts a vast selection, made easier to navigate with the enthusiastic help from the head chef, who makes a point of explaining the dishes and takes the orders. For Antipasti we had polpette, homemade beef and pork meatballs cooked in tomato sauce, with fresh basil and parmesan cheese; and the homemade salsiccia con fagliolini, grilled pork chilli sausage cooked in cherry tomato sauce with fine green beans. Mains comprised tagliatelle spezzatino and pepperoni (tagliatelle with fillet steak in an onion, tomato and pepper sauce), and one of the chef’s favourites, Chief Risotto – arborio rice with crabmeat, courgette, fresh clams and calamari. There is also a lobster version, Bob’s Lobster – enquire about the name’s origins when you go. A mango cheesecake was our chosen, shared dessert, with pear and honey tart coming in a close second.
Herbs are grown in the restaurant and sauces are made to order: if you’re in a rush, this isn’t for you. However, if you love your food, want genuine hospitality, savour good Italian wines, (sidenote: the Granito Casavecchia here comes from their family vineyard outside of Naples) and salivate at the thought of trying authentic home dishes from Southern Italy, Amici is for you. This isn’t cheap, but you pay for, and receive, quality. ANTONIA LEVAY