REVIEW: Dolce Vita Takeaway Left Our Two Year Old Asking for 'More'

Most of us have experienced that exhausted Friday feeling - you've had a busy week and can't face cooking but just don't fancy heading out for dinner.

Having heard rave reviews about Dolce Vita in Ashley Cross, we decided to check out their takeaway menu, which was so tempting we ordered straight away (they were taking orders as early as 6pm).

We liked the fact that their dishes aren't just the standard Italian staples. As well as all the usual favourites (Spaghetti Bolognese, Salmon Linguine etc), their menu included 'Linguine Crazy Alfredo' - linguine with chicken, bacon, chorizo, pesto genovase, onions and chilli and 'Tagliolini Al Filetto' - strips of fillet steak, bacon, onions, mushrooms in a cream sauce (which my husband and I ordered despite also being tempted by the fish dishes).

We phoned through our order and collected ourselves but as of next weekend (19^th Nov) they will be all set up with Just Eat for deliveries.

Prepared in just 20 minutes, our food was all bagged up and ready to go when we arrived and were greeted warmly by the staff. My daughter enjoyed the buzzing Friday night atmosphere, so we're tempted to eat in the restaurant next time to soak it all up - and they own the bar next door (Drift) so it's perfect for making a night of it.

Our food was still warm when we got it home and tucked in. We had two starters to share - Meat Balls with Homemade Napoli Sauce and Camembert Fritto (fried and flavoured camembert with mirtillo sauce). There was no scrimping on the sides and garnishes - chutney, salad and warm fresh bread were all included.

The kids had Spaghetti Napoli and Spaghetti Carbonara from the children's menu to share. If ever there's a sign of a satisfied customer, then my daughter displayed it. She doesn't normally have a huge appetite but as soon as she tasted her Carbonara, she said, "Mmmm, nice", demolished her portion, signalled she'd like some of mine and then went back for not just seconds, but thirds of her dish - straight from the takeaway container!

Mine and my husband's meals were absolutely delicious - my steak strips were cooked to perfection and the peppery cream sauce really brought out the succulent flavour of the meat, My husband's Crazy Alfredo was a little on the spicy side for me but just the right amount of kick for him. Neither tasted too salty, which we find is often the case with takeaway food.

A very successful Friday night treat all round and one that we definitely recommend. We plan to return regularly and work our way through their fantastic menu!

Click here to view Dolce Vita's website and menu or call 01202 747775.