La Banca takes a smart place in old bank on a high street in South Birmingham not used to smart places, making good use of a mirrored wall that makes the space look twice as large. Its popular, mostly you feel because of the restaurant manager for glides between tables, flirting with the regulars who make up the crowd on a blustery winters evening. The large phallic shaped pepper grinder were made for this man.
They try hard to keep it as authentic as possible and for the most part it works. A nibble of bean salad with crisp breads is a merciless assault of garlic, as are the garlic bread and bruschetta that follow. I like them all, mostly because I don't like close social encounters, but also because they bold in taste and heavily seasoned. The bruschetta has pronounced flavours of onion and vinegar and lots and lots of garlic, even if the rather bland tomatoes are three months out of season.
There is a lasagne with thick tussles of braised shoulder meat and sheets of overcooked pasta, which I forgive for it being so bloody comforting. Its all a bit mushy, though the flavour is good with whacks of tomato and cheese and yes, you've guessed it, garlic. I also admire another linguine dish with a rich vegetable ragu and topped with chicken and prawns. Nothing gets in the way of each other here, which it could have easily have done. Everything is distinct and accurately cooked, the pasta still with the bite that was missing from the lasagne.
The desserts here are portioned ideally for sharing, so we order one each, because Simon doesn't share food. Tiramisu is the lasagne reinvented for the sweeter tooth; again a textural disaster of softness, packed full of heady flavours of coffee and chocolate. The star is a lemon cake, with a sharp zabaglione cream filling encased in a lemon meringue. The acidity and sweetness carefully balanced out
They have a decent wine list which starts to get interesting when you stick to Italy, where good bottles can be found for under twenty quid. This matches the price of the food, which, fillet steak aside, is strictly mid-teens for mains and under a tenner for everything else. Its all good value, it feels homely, and service is warm. Its easy to see why it is so busy. Its not perfect, but I would gladly return for a good feed at a modest price. read more