Exeter

I expected Strada to be a chain restaurant. A cheap generic take on Italian food. How wrong could I be!

The food was wonderful, fresh and tasty. Simple and authentic. Ingredients that are not drowned in overpowering sauces, but dressed with just a subtle flavour that allows the excellent fresh ingredients to speak for themselves. I have eaten in Bologna, I have eaten in Venice and I have to say the food at the Exeter Strada was every bit as brilliant. I am a pudding girl though, as much as I love my savouries the absolute star for me was the ‘Affogato’, it was delicious!

We got to the restaurant just before 8 o’clock and found that the restaurant was absolutely choc-a-bloc with Christmas parties and diners enjoying a terrific atmosphere, despite on how busy the restaurant was we were greeted so enthusiastically by the waiting staff that we were the only diners in the venue.

We sat down and started with the olives and flat bread this was an excellent start to what would become a night that we would remember for a very long time. Antipasto followed which was a fantastic platter of salami, parma ham tapenade and other delicious italiian favourites.
The main course was next up with five different main couses given to us. The pasta dish was delicious but a little spicy for my wife's pallet but I loved the chili effect. The rissotto was creamy yet very flavoursome. If you like pizzas you will not be disappointed with the Quatro Stagioni which was really 4 pizzas in one with the artichoke being a revalation. Saltimbocca Maiale was a pork fillet with Parma ham served on a delicious mashed potato green beans and a lovely sage butter, it was a delight. The final main course was easlily one of the most impressive dishes that I have ever seen or eaten this was a whole seabream which was roasted with lemon and thyme, this was serve with a green sald and roasted new potatoes.This was quite amazing and had the must subtle tastes and absolute must if I had to choose any thing off the menu.

Finally our sweets were served with a nougat with a shot of espresso coffee, a Chocolate Panacotta and a Pistachio Ice Cream all of which were superb and finished the evening off superbly.

I would reccomend Strada in Pricesshay Exeter to anyone and indeed I have to may work colleagus and friends since.

I visited the Exeter Strada with my girlfriend Anna and two good friends. Being the driver I settled down with a Limonata whilst my friends tackled the recommended Primitivo whilst I looked on longingly. The food was to be laid out in three sittings of starters, mains and desserts. To be honest we really needed seating for six such was the volume of food :)

The starters duly arrived and we made for the Olives which were indeed large. They were a very bright and shiny green with great visual appeal and slightly salted which made them them very moorish! The garlic and rosemary flatbreads didn't last long and were the favourite of the starters. The Antipasto was filling but we felt mirrored previous offerings apart from the fab tapenade.

Well what happened next oh my word!! 5 huge plates of mains where do we start. I think it best to go in order of what we loved most first. The Sea Bream was sensational very moist and just fell off the bone maybe the veg didnt quite do it justice. The risotto was a treat and bursting with flavour quickly finished. The pork fillet was a real meal a meat lovers course. The pizza had great presence and wonderful plate coverage a great thin base with something for everyone a great sharing dish actually. Lastly the pasta dish which lacked a little imagination nice flavours but hoped for more.

Onto the desserts well the Affogato was immense what a classy dish with real Italian flair we loved it!! The Bunet Piemonteste was silky smooth and just glorious again a real favourite. The gelato was good but lacked a bit of punch maybe in fairness the first two were just too good!!!

Overall we were very very impressed and the chef prepared everything very quickly with great presentation. Special note to our waiter who was brilliant a real pro with style I wish I could remember his name late twenties I would say mousy hair, a star!!

So thank you Strada loved it xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Service was second to none, couldn’t fault the staff.

Food was swiftly brought to our table but didn’t feel rushed.

Food was great apart from the pork being a little dry, the mashed potato and gravy was however fantastic.

Risotto was absolutely fantastic, best I’ve had!

Thanks Strada!

From the moment we walked through the door at Strada exeter we were given a very warm welcome by our waiter Matt he took us over to our table and asked us what drinks we would like and then took time to explain the dishes of food we were about to eat he also said that he hoped we hadnt eaten too much today.

Well onto the starters the olives were lovely the flatbread was fantastic just the right amount of rosemary and olive oil and with a great crisp edge then the antipasto the meats were perfect mozzarella goes so well with fresh tomatoes the bruschetta lightly toasted but the highlight for me of this dish was the olive tapenade

Well onto the mains but after the starters beware you only need one main but for the case of the review we had to try them all!!!

Risotto zucca
The risotto cooked spot on lovely and creamy yet not stodgy the butternut squash, pine nuts, pancetta and spinach all worked well together although not my favouate as i’m not keen on butternut squash

Quattro stagioni
We don’t normally eat pizza out but I have to say this was a very good one. The combination of the sausage, cotto ham, chestnut mushrooms and artichokes were very good.

Saltimbocca maiale
The pork fillet was very succulent the crispy parma ham rapped around it lovely the sage butter sauce went well then the green beans and mashed potato went on to make this a very enjoyable dish.

Orata al forno
Well what a dish this was the whole Sea Bream pan roasted with lemon and thyme butter and salad with roasted potatoes we both started with this dish as we both really enjoy fish and it was fantastic but we both felt that it would have been better it the potatoes had been left as new potatoes not roasted they became a little chewy but I must go on to say that we went on to try all the other dishes and then came back to this one and the fish was still hot unlike a lot of other places that we eat at.

Strozzapreti pugliese
This was our favouate it just edged it over the above dish because of the potatoes.
The pasta, sausage, pancetta, broccoli grana padano cheese and red chillies made this a truely amazing dish one that everybody should try the chillies gave it a great kick without being over powering the pasta was perfect

Desserts
Affogato
The ice cream great and the shot of espresso over the top works well

Bunet piemontese
This was very tasty I loved the Amaretti biscuits and the Ammeretto liquour with it but unfoutantly I don’t like nuts but if I did I would have polished this one before any body else got a look in even after all that we had eaten it was so light and tasty

Pistachio gelato
Again a nice dessert to complete a meal with nice and light

Summing up
This was the first time we have eaten at Strada and I can tell you it wont be our last. We both eat out a lot on average three times a week and it is rare to get such a complete dining experance hats off to the chef waiting staff and the cleaners as the resturarant was spotless we also liked the layout with all the potted herbs all around. One last point between the mains and desserts we being smokers went out side for a cigerette and Matt came outside to turn a heater on as it was cold and give us an ash tray

Well done Strada keep up the good work you are putting others to shame see you soon.

The tasting menu did not disappoint!!

The staff were helpful and friendly, but didn’t overpower you.

The food was wonderful and perfectly prepared. The olives and breads were so fresh and flavourful. The Sea Bream was superb, and the pork fillet was excellent in every way.

The pistachio ice cream is a must!

The wine list was extensive and has a good selection of affordable wines.

The location (in the centre of Princesshay shopping centre) and the comfortable, contemporary setting can’t be beat. Enjoy!

We were lucky to be picked to be a reviewer for the new taster menu, as this is our favourite place to eat. My favourite is the garlic bread starter. The staff are always pleasant and friendly and nothing is too much trouble.

The new menu was really good. We liked the olive starter.
My favourite main was the risotto, which was well cooked and tasty. the other mains that we liked were the pasta (Strozzapreti Pugliese) and especially the pork dish (Saltimbocca Maiale), but we were not keen on the artichoke on the pizza.
Desserts were lovely especially the Pannacotta (Bunet Piemontese).

A lovely meal was had by all.

Beginning with the Schiacciatella, it was delicious and crispy.

The anitpasto had a good variety of meat on it, with gorgeous fresh rocket and tomatoes.

The Strozzapreti Pugliese was very tasty, however I found it too spicy, much more spicy than indicated on the menu.

The Risotto Zucca was also delicious, but I struggled to finish the whole dish as it was very rich.

The variety and quality of the toppings on the Quattro Stagioni was excellent, however I felt the base was slightly too crusty and the middle too limp. There was no middle ground.

My favourite dish was Saltimbocca Maiale; the pork was cooked to perfection, full of flavour and very tender. The mash was a little sloppy, but this was easily overlooked.

The last main course, Orata Al Forno was tasty, but beware the bones. I was also a little off put as it was a whole fish, head and all, however, you are warned on the menu.

I would say that the portion size was very good thoughout.

Finally, the dessert. The Affogato was delicious, and the espresso shot gave it a real kick. The Bunet Piemontese was good, but the texture was a little sloppy and it was quite rich. Finally, the Pistachio Gelato was very tasty and my favourite dessert of the evening.

Once again, the chefs at Strada have not disappointed. The new menu raises the already above par chain into a league of its own, the hearty and authentic Italian cuisine combining with the always welcoming restaurant atmosphere to create a brilliant dining experience.

Our meal started with simple green olives and a thin, crispy flat bread flavored with rosemary, both being light and tasty starts to the meal.

To follow, we were given the antipasto platter, a board filled with parma ham, salami, buffalo mozzarella and tomato bruschetta, to name but a few elements. All were excellent, and shared between two did not overwhelm us before our main course. My partner was pleasantly surprised by the olive tapenade, a dish he usually deems too salty but here found to be pleasantly flavorsome without being too pungent. I especially enjoyed the fresh tasting tomato bruschetta combined with one of my favorites, the parma ham.

For my main course I selected the sea bream, whilst my partner opted for the pork fillet wrapped in parma ham. My fish was cooked beautifully, delicate and moist, and flavored subtly by the accompanying lemon and thyme. I had to try my partner’s pork as it too just looked too tempting - both dishes were excellent.

To finish, we were presented with three deserts - a bunet piemontese, an affogato and some pistachio ice cream. The bunet piemontese, a sort of rich chocolate mousse but denser, was very pleasant, and the pistachio ice cream was excellent, full of genuine pistachio flavor. We particularly enjoyed the affogato, having never tried anything like it before - a kind of sweet, nutty mousse, brilliant with the accompanying espresso poured over the top. We would however have liked a more solid desert option, as all three provided, whilst being very enjoyable, were of a similar soft texture.

I thoroughly enjoyed very element of this meal, and will be eager to sample more delights from the new menu!