Ah the joys of Mother's Day. Wait - that was LAST week. Never mind. My nearly 20 year old daughter…read morewasn't home last week, so the celebrations were postponed until today. Darling daughter kindly offered to take her mother (me) for lunch. After much deliberation, we decided to wander not too terribly far from home to Piazza Firenze.
I'd never been before. We arrived at about 1.30 on a Saturday afternoon. There were a couple of small family groups by the big picture window (which was fully open, as it was a fabulous day) with small and impatient children. We therefore chose to sit near the back. At the back were some challenged and rather noisy adults, but neither they nor the toddlers were the restaurant's fault.
The place wasn't busy (the glorious day may have something to do with that). We were given menus and asked what we'd like to drink quite quickly. They have a wine list, plus some spirits and beers, though both of us stuck with water.
The menu is not extensive, but nor is it tiny. It has starters, salads, pasta, pizza and main courses. Both my daughter and I opted for pizza - she had a Margarita, and I had a pizza with Italian sausage and bacon (it was supposed to come with egg; I asked to have that omitted - as a New Yorker, egg on pizza for me is just wrong).
The pizzas did take a bit of time to arrive, despite the lack of many customers. My pizza was ok. The sausage and bacon were quite salty, and I'd have liked the base cooked a bit more. Also, and this is a common complaint from me about pizzas in Britain, it could have done with some herbs - oregano, basil - that kind of thing. As it was, it was really the topping that provided the flavour. I had a wee taste of my daughter's pizza. The crust was nicer on that one, and the tomato tasted fresher, but again, it could have done with seasoning.
The bill came to under £20, as all we had were two pizzas, with no drinks or sides. The pizzas ranged in price from around £7 to around £10, as did the pasta dishes. The main courses (sea bass, steak, that kind of thing) were more expensive - perhaps half again as much.
The decor is fairly bare - wooden floors, plain table and chairs. Fortunately, they are not too close together, so you will not be rubbing elbows with all and sundry. However, all the hard surfaces means the sound really does carry. There is a small garden/terrace out back with tables and chairs, though we did not venture out there. The pizza oven is in the back, so you can see your pizza being cooked and delivered.
All in all, I'd say this is not a bad place for families, but I would hesitate to recommend it for an intimate, adult dinner for two.
