We stopped in after a cold and rainy bank holiday, and were welcomed in with high spirits. The restaurant is very small and intimate, so I'm sure on most nights you'll want to book a table. I think we were probably lucky to grab a table for four. And although our kids were very easily accommodated, I think usually it would be difficult to accommodate families given that the restaurant is so tiny.
We started with the calamari croccanti - the squid was perfectly tender and the frite perfectly crisp. It's served with tartar sauce, which is unusual for my American sensibilities as most Italian restaurants in the US would serve fried calamari with marinara sauce. Luckily, we'd also ordered the mozzarella in carrozza (breaded and fried mozzarella), which was served with a nice, peppery marinara sauce.
I ordered the rigatoni alla amatriciana, which is rigatoni in tomato sauce with pancetta and onions. Very hearty and warming. We ordered small portions of spaghetti alla carbonara for the kids, but in retrospect we could have ordered a single adult portion and split it between them. They are six and eight and the kids portions were really quite large for them. As far as carbonaras go, I stole a bite and it was great. If I could order my own bowl and not feel extremely guilty about it health wise, I totally would.
My husband ordered veal scallopina al funghi, and a side order of spinach. I didn't taste it but there wasn't any left at the end of the meal if that's any indication of how good it was.
For dessert - tiramisu and chocolate cake to share amongst the four of us. Dessert portions are micro tiny though, so sharing is good for your waistline and pocketbook, but you might be left a bit wanting. Cappuccino was perfect and served with a small biscotti (packaged, bit homemade).
Overall, a really lovely meal - small intimate setting, warm and inviting service, and really good food. I'd be happy to have Solo Pasta on my list of must-visits the next time I'm in Eastbourne. read more