"FORZA ROMA! When you find yourself working away from home finding a good place to eat is a must. So it was for me when I found myself spending 2 weeks in Leicester. After the first night’s truly awful dining experience at my hotel, I had the good fortune to stumble across Café Bar Roma on Halford street in the city centre, and what a find it was. Decked out as you would find many a trattoria almost anywhere in Italy plenty of wood and subtle lighting) it had a warm and welcoming ambience which chimed perfectly with the friendly and efficient service provided by the owner, Azziza, and her team who work tirelessly to ensure your time there is a happy one. It is a café bar during the working week and open as a restaurant in the evening from Wednesday on. Although I did not luncheon there, I wish I had! The lunchtime offers look remarkably good value. Yet, however welcome you are made to feel, you are there to eat, and if the food fails, you won’t return. I did! 4 times. And not once was I disappointed. All the traditional Italian staples are there. Pasta, pizza, meat and fish and a selection of homemade desserts). First up, my tagliatelle salsiccie with traditional fennel sausage) was delicious; light but filling, with the pasta al dente and just the right hint of fennel to the overall flavour. Not too strong but not missing in action either. The pizzas are simply first rate. I tried two! A simple rossa at £4.50 and a puttanesca with olives, capers and anchovies at £8.50; combining a light, crispy base but still retaining a bit of that all-important “chew” factor) married to toppings packed with flavour. The scallopine al marsala pork escallope in a cream and marsala sauce) at £16 was again beautifully cooked. Tender and moist with a sauce that did not overpower the meat but complemented it just as it should. Finally, to cover all areas of the menu, I had the sea bass fillet in a lemon butter and caper sauce £16.50). This is an easy dish to get wrong. The fish can be dry or the sauce too sharp. No such trouble here. The fillets were cooked perfectly; skin crisp, flesh soft and the sauce was, again, a subtle but truly flavoursome accompaniment. Compliments to the chef! So, pasta, pizza, meat and fish all perfect; and the prices are so reasonable that one imagines they must rise soon. To produce this quality at the prices charged is nothing short of a miracle. And the well- chosen wines were sensibly priced too, with a carafe of the house at £10 a real boon for the lone diner) and a bottle of house red or white at £14. It was no surprise to my lonesome self, as I eavesdropped, to hear that many of the diners were frequent visitors. All in all, a terrific dining experience. Great food; great service; great value. It is no wonder the place has been here nearly 30 years. If I am any judge, it will be here many years more. It deserves to be."
