Tucked away in Northampton town centre, Nuovo offers a relaxed dining experience featuring cicchetti, Italian small plates, tapas style dining. So, make sure you visit with colleagues who don’t mind sharing.
We made our booking for our after-work meal over the phone on the night we were visiting Nuovo, but for those of you who aren’t so last minute there is also the option to make a reservation online for groups of up to seven people. We took advantage of the free parking available after 7pm, just a moment away from the restaurant, or a taxi could also drop you straight to the door.
The restaurant is tucked away at the top of Abington Street, but is recognisable from its striped canopy entrance and romantically lit courtyard. As we walked into the restaurant we were welcomed by friendly staff, and even though we were early for our booking we were shown straight to our table. Our waitress talked us through the specials for the evening, as well as how many dishes to order – helpful to someone visiting Nuovo for the first time. With so many delicious dishes on offer it would be easy to over order. The staff were knowledgeable and more than happy to answer any questions relating to the food and drinks menu.
We first ordered some bread and olives whilst we decided what we were going to order. The homemade focaccia and olives were a great start to our meal. The menu offered a wide variety to meet all dietary requirements, including vegan, gluten free and vegetarian options, all clearly marked on the menu.
It would have been rude not to order an Italian classic from the cocktail menu, an Aperol Spritz. My colleague opted for a Hugo, also from the Italian Classics cocktail menu, a minty and refreshing drink of elderflower, prosecco, soda, mint and lime. The wine menu was extensive and a favourite of mine from the menu is the Trebbiano, made with grapes from, you guessed it, Italy. For those driving or preferring not to drink there were mocktails and non-alcoholic beers to choose from, as well as a selection of soft drinks.
From the antipasti menu we ordered the salt cured Black Angus, arancini, and burrata mozzarella. First up was the mozzarella, a ten out of ten, fresh and perfectly seasoned, and closely followed by the Angus beef, which was great for sharing. With a generous portion of arancini served between two of us, we couldn’t finish this starter.
For our mains, from the selection of pastas, we chose the carbonara, which lacked some flavour and was quite creamy. The second pasta dish we ordered was the linguine aglio e olio, linguine with chilli, garlic and olive oil, beware, this dish is simple but spicy! The linguine complemented the gamberoni (prawns in lemon butter) and grilled octopus we ordered from the fish menu. The prawns were perfectly cooked and a must-have when you visit Nuovo.
We also ordered the manzo brasato (seven-hour braised beef), which was so tender we could cut it with a spoon, this is another must-try. To accompany our mains, we ordered the seasonal vegetables from the specials menu and just had to order a side of fries.
Every item we ordered arrived at our table hot, which can be a downfall at other restaurants. There was plenty of room on the table so as not to feel overcrowded whilst eating. While we were enjoying our main dishes, we noticed a large work party who were enjoying a staff night out, talking, drinking and enjoying good food, a sign that Nuovo is a great destination to visit for an after-work dinner. Overall, the restaurant had a lively atmosphere, with a mixture of couples, families and work parties.
After finishing our mains, we couldn’t resist ordering a dessert. With so many Italian classics on offer we chose the dolce cicchetti, a sharing platter of Italian desserts including pistachio cannoli with white chocolate, vanilla panna cotta, tiramisu and struffoli, which I would compare to mini donuts. The sharing platter offered something for everyone, with my personal favourite being the cannoli. The desserts did not outshine the main courses, but we may have enjoyed them more if we hadn’t been so full.
Nuovo offers a classy Italian dining experience in the heart of Northampton, perfect for people who enjoy sharing great food. Our waitress told us that Nuovo’s busiest nights are Thursday, Friday and Saturday so make sure you reserve a table, so as not to miss out on some amazing food.
To take a further look or make a reservation, here.
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This visit was booked anonymously and the food and drink was paid for by the writer
