“Lamezia is our family-run Italian restaurant named after the city in the beautiful southern Italian region of Calabria that we come from “ Maria, co-owner of Lamezia.
They are celebrating 10 years in authentic pizzas and pasta. Maria & Francesco run the front of the restaurant while her parents cook at the back. You can’t get more family run than that.
Lamezia have also been shortlisted for the British Restaurant Awards 2019 and its clear why.
I was invited to try out their food and I went along with my cousin for an evening of lovely chat, food and wine.
Atmosphere:
The restaurant has a relaxed ambiance. It has beautiful personal Italian touches dotted around including family portraits. The orange coloured walls add to the authentic homely look which I really liked. The tables were set with candles too that added to the warm welcoming atmosphere.
Maria and her team are friendly and are there to ensure guests have a great experience. They pride themselves in food that is simple and honest. Their fresh pasta and pizza is made from lots of authentic Calabrian ingredients.
Food:
Lamezia combines trusted Italian traditions with exciting new twists. Some of their new additions include different soft healthier pizza bases (that are Vegan too).
Wheat & Hemp: Full of essential fatty acids, vitamins and minerals with a pleasant nutty taste.
Turmeric: A bright yellow crust rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatories.
Starters:
Calamari: The calamari was perfectly cooked and had the correct consistency. It came on a bed of rocket with a wedge of lemon. Every bite was full of flavour especially with the delicious tartar sauce that came with it.
Antipasto for 1:The combination of cured meats and cheese is something I always enjoy. The cheeses and meats were all fresh tasting and went well with the olives and soft bread. Perfect starter to wake up those taste buds.
Mains:
It had to be pizzas especially with the launch of the new bases.
Calabrese on the Wheat & Hemp base: The Spicy Italian Sausage, Hot Chillies and Spring Onions were evening spread out and tasted delicious on the wheat base. Each mouthful had a nice kick to it and went down a treat. The spicy sausage was not fatty and just had the correct consistency. The base was soft and went well with the toppings.
La Vegana on turmeric base: After the antipasto I fancied a vegetarian pizza. The one I picked so happened to be Vegan and came with peppers, red onions, mushrooms & fresh chillies. It was a chef special and was so delicious. The turmeric on the base was not overpowering and combined with the vegetables gave the pizza a lovely taste and texture.
Desserts:
Tiramisu: a homemade tiramisu is my favourite Italian dessert (and Lamezias best seller) especially when it’s made with so much passion. Dusted with some cocoa, each spoonful melted away and had the perfect cream & sponge combination. The coffee flavour came through well too and the dessert had the percent consistency.
Cannolo filled with sweet cream, ricotta cheese and chocolate chips: the pastry had a good crunch to it and was perfectly made. The filling was rich a tasted authentic. This was the second most popular dessert according to Maria. If I hadn’t eaten so much beforehand I would been able to have more of this.
Drinks:
I am not a big wine drinker and quite picky on what I can drink. Maria suggested the house red wine would be a nice based on my preferences. I was hesitant because house wine isn’t always the best however this one was delicious and ticked all the boxes. Just goes to show Maria knows her stuff and is brilliant at making the correct recommendations for all her guests.
Easy to sip on and so smooth, the Sangiovese Rubicon is one I will be having again. It was not hard to finish off the bottle between the two of us.
Lamezia’s menu has enough variety to cater for many tastes and diets. The portions are reasonable and the quality of the food is excellent. A perfect recommendation in Islington!
Lamezia : Address: 165 Holloway Road, Islington, N7 8LX Tel: 0207 6096620
Neha
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Disclaimer: I was invited for a meal at Lamezia however all opinions & photos are genuine and my own.
Simply Rasha says
It looks like such a lovely place Neha! Pizza and Tiramisu is honestly a perfect combination. I’ve been craving pizza since last week, it’s on our iftar menu for Friday haha
bakedcupcakes says
This looks so pretty, thank you for this review, and your photography skills are really good, I am impressed.
Wishing you lots of happiness.
Bye
Laiba
♥
Romina says
Looks like a lovely place! I grew up I. Italy so I’m always looking for proper Italian places to eat at! The calamari looks perfect x
Anne Fraser says
I love Italian food and like the sound of healthier pizzas.
Helen says
Oo the food looks delicious and it’s nice that the atmosphere was friendly too 🙂
Tracey Kifford says
Gosh those pizzas look good! Weather permitting we’re firing up our pizza oven tonight to make some homemade pizza … hoping they’ll be as good as these ones!
Laura says
I love Italian food! This all looks and sounds great, especially those pizzas!