Da Mario

A lovely Italian restaurant with nice interior and traditional Italian cuisine. They serve a range of pizza and pasta that can be prepared gluten free at an additional charge (£2.9). Most of the starters should be gluten free however allergens are not listed; some dishes would traditionally be served with complementary bread that is not necessarily written on the menu - better to ask about it in advance. I‘ve had the chargrilled seabass fillets (spigola alla griglia), and it was a satisfying and generous portion. the skin was crispy and the fillets juicy and tender. it was rich in flavor as well and came with a side of mixed leave salad and tomatoes. I made the waiter aware of my dietary requirements when ordering, and when he served the starter (that only the rest of our group shared) he double checked if I was eating it as well as it wouldn‘t be suitable. I appreciated his effort to make sure I wouldn‘t (purposely or by accident) eat something that doesn‘t accommodate to my allergies. also I‘ve noticed that my salad came without the premixed dressing (someone else in our group ordered the same dish) which I quite liked as well as I would know for sure the dish doesn‘t contain allergens from the mixed dressing; and seasoning a salad oneself doesn’t take much effort anyway; condiments are available at every table - olive oil, balsamic vinegar and chili infused olive oil, salt, pepper. they are well-staffed and waiters are quick and attentive.

overall, the food was nicely presented, had a well-balanced flavor and nice texture and portion sizes are satisfying. my friends have been pleased with their meals as well. unfortunately, the dining room downstairs (where we were seated) had a faint smell of restroom cleaning agent; although subtle I was set off by it. I have also felt chilly, even after the place filled up. as it became busier the volume went up and given it is a basement room it can be perceived as being too loud. yet in my opinion I‘d prefer to sit downstairs anyway as the room upstairs is quite narrow.

I recommend this place as food and ambiance are pleasant but suggest to make a reservation if one wanted to come during dinner time. our group had an early dinner and we were lucky to get a table by walking in, however the place filled up quickly and guests would have to wait for quite some time to be seated.

Celiac friendly?

Yes