When I started
blogging about food and restaurants, a mere 9 months ago, I didn't realise what
a job it would be to keep up with all the new restaurants opening, and here we
go again, in Canton, with the latest new kid on the block, La Galleria.
Ordinarily I avoid
all new places in the first month, particularly if I am planning to write about
it, but the promise of 'Italian food the way it should be' tempted me and once
you throw in a 2-4-1 offer it would be silly not to. I was looking forward to
something more than your standard Italian restaurant.
La Galleria
describes itself as a 'restaurant lounge bar' which I found intriguing. The
reality was an unnecessarily lengthy description for what is in fact a
restaurant.
The interior seemed
equally unsure of itself; a mix of modern ('feature' wall and squishy sofas in
the front - presumably the lounge bit) and a curiously old fashioned look in
the main restaurant. White table cloths, a strange arrangement on the walls of
thick horizontal strips of cream wood interspersed with thin mirrored strips,
and generic Italian looking paintings in a Jack Vettriano style. Traditional is
one thing but old fashioned is another. And while I'm at it the tables were
absolutely rammed together, I can image it getting very cramped when they
get booked up.
But enough of the
decor, the food is what it's all about.
The menu is pretty
standard UK Italian restaurant fare, antipasti and bruschetta starters; pasta,
pizza and a handful meat/fish dishes. It also bears more than a passing
resemblance to the menu at Bellini's so if you like that there's a good chance this will be your thing.
We ordered
bruschetta and olives to start, both were good, the bruschetta strong with
garlic and the tomatoes properly salted.The olives were good and came with
carrots, celery, chilli etc. (again like the olives in Bellini's)
The 2-4-1 could be
used on either pasta or pizza so he ordered a Calzone and I had the Rucola
(parma ham, rocket, shaved Parmesan). These were both good with generous
toppings but for me the pizza base could have been a little thinner and
crispier. We were offered, and I accepted, the offer of chilli oil for the pizza.
This came in a oversized comedy bottle that needed two hands to lift it and
was without a stopper for drizzling. This added an unnecessary frisson of
danger and was so unwieldy reduced me to giggles.
Service was fine and efficient but
would benefit from being a little more welcoming. There is a difference between service and hosting and as a general point the latter is much harder, but is normally the way in the best Italian restaurants. There were some teething
issues evident but to be fair they were all dealt with cheerfully and quickly. While this would have been a problem
somewhere more established, it wasn't a problem at all for somewhere open less
than a week so let's not hold it against them.
Our bill with the discount was only £22.75 for the bruschetta, olives, 2 pizzas, 2 glasses of house red (an easy Montepulciano) and a coke; ridiculously good value in anyone's book. Without discount it would have been £31 which is still pretty sharp.
Our bill with the discount was only £22.75 for the bruschetta, olives, 2 pizzas, 2 glasses of house red (an easy Montepulciano) and a coke; ridiculously good value in anyone's book. Without discount it would have been £31 which is still pretty sharp.
As we left we walked
home past La Lupa and the Italian Way, both full and lively, and here for me is
the issue. The food was fine, the service was fine but La Galleria seems to be a little confused in terms of what it is aiming for while at the same time
not offering anything new. The description and the street view promise robust
Italian cooking with a modern twist but this isn't completely followed
through to the menu. If feels like 2 people have been locked in separate rooms
with one working up the design and marketing while another worked up the menu.
Canton is already well served with established Italian restaurants practically
next door so where is the USP?
I'd really like La
Galleria to do well. We have traditional Italian restaurants in Canton so there
is space for something a bit different. Both La Vita (gorgeous pizzas) and
Casanova (wonderful seasonal cooking) have already managed this and it would be
good to see La Galleria carve out its own space.
La Galleria - Restaurant Bar Lounge
147 Cowbridge Road East, Canton