The true taste of Rome; FOOD REVIEW Altalia has gained a good reputation for its Italian food. Robert Harries pays a visit to the Llanelli restaurant...
F you want a little taste of Italy but can't afford a trip to Europe right now, fear not. You can instead experience all the delicious cuisine that Rome can offer in the heart of a west Wales town.IAltalia has gained a reputation as one of the nicest places to dine in Llanelli over the past few years, so I went along to see what all the fuss is about.
This cute and quaint two-storey restaurant sits right in the centre of Llanelli, on Stepney Place.
The warm and cosy lighting is the first thing you notice as you enter the building, which manages to look like a daytime cafe and a swanky evening restaurant at the same time.
I had strategically (and cleverly, I thought) booked a table for two for 30 minutes after Wales had kicked-off a big autumn international 55 miles to the east at the Principality Stadium. The thinking was that the restaurant would be dead, for everyone, surely, would be glued to a television screen in any of the nearby pubs and clubs, taking in the big game.
No such luck, and it's clearly a testament to Altalia's burgeoning reputation that a number of punters chose to ignore the rugby in favour of a bite to eat at this popular restaurant.
With downstairs packed, we were quickly ushered to the more private setting of the first floor, which made us feel all the more special, like VIP guests or members of an important Sicilian family.
Perusing the menu was the biggest, and in fact only, challenge of the evening.
A nice range of starters, all priced at PS4.95 each, led to some light-hearted disagreements between my wife and I, amicably resolved by two fishbased decisions. I plumped for the spicy tomato tiger prawn, and my wife opted for the garlic tiger prawns. Both dishes, supplemented by a side order of ciabatta bread and a complimentary offering of dough balls and olives, left us rather full. The portions were more than generous, and the taste of both prawn dishes was evident in the speed at which they were consumed.
This was washed down with a beautiful Rioja. My wife had a small glass, costing PS3.20, but I thought "when in Rome..." and ordered a large, priced at PS6.70.
In terms of the main dishes, there are more than 10 pizzas to chose from at Altalia, all priced between PS9.95 and PS10.95. There are also a plethora of pasta dishes, all priced at PS10.95, and the more adventurous "signature dishes" costing PS16.95.
It was from this particular section that I made my choice: the tarragon chicken Altalia, a chicken breast baked in the restaurant's own marinade, served with tarragon in a tomato and cream sauce, with potato wedges and oven roasted vegetables.
My wife really pushed the boat out and ordered something very imaginative: spaghetti bolognese. My intense derision was soon dimmed when she gave me a large spoonful. She had clearly made the correct choice as the old classic was beautiful. It's a good job she let me try some at the start of her meal, as it didn't last very long on her plate.
As for the tarragon chicken, it was equally superb. Tender meat covered in a beautiful sauce that was far more filling than it looked, especially alongside the delicious potato wedges that complemented it perfectly.
Once we'd finished the mains, the polite and attentive waitress tried to tempt us with a dessert.
I was full at this point, and was happy to wash down a tasty two-courser with the rest of my Rioja. Then I remembered that, as I was writing this review, I really needed to try out the full experience, and that meant it was pudding time.
All the desserts are priced at a very reasonable PS4.90 each, and it was difficult to choose from the fresh tiramisu, the warm chocolate fudge cake, or the Italian and Welsh cheese board, but in light of my rather full stomach due to the excellence and portion size of the previous two courses, not to mention the bread, I opted for the mint choc chip ice cream.
In classic Italian style, the ice cream didn't come in a bowl, but in a tall glass flute, and it proved to be the perfect ending to my three-course meal. My wife chose to be more adventurous and went for the lemon and mascarpone cheesecake, which, again, was more than generous in its volume and taste.
Overall, Altalia proved to be a real treat. There's a certain romance and panache when it comes to dining out the Italian way, and although we were sat in the middle of Llanelli, for two glorious hours it felt like we had been whisked away to Italy itself.
This place is definitely worth a try.
| Altalia is at 2 Stepney St, Llanelli SA15 3UP. Call 01554 751157
There's a certain romance and panache when it comes to dining out the Italian way
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Spaghetti bolognese at Altalia in Llanelli and, below, dough balls and olives and garlic tiger prawns
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| Title Annotation: | Features |
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| Publication: | Western Mail (Cardiff, Wales) |
| Article Type: | Travel narrative |
| Date: | Nov 24, 2018 |
| Words: | 859 |
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