Saturday 17 January 2015

Zio Pin, Roath, Cardiff Italian restaurant review


There’s an old school Italian restaurant like Zio Pin’s on nearly every high street in the UK.

You know the score – they’re places of familiarity when you’re craving a large plate of comfort food and an even bigger glass of booze.

Zio Pin’s does some things very well – the serving team were hugely welcoming and the bar area has had a bright modern makeover since my last visit a few years ago. However, some of the dishes we ate were a bit average…


Excellent, warm crusty homemade bread slathered with soft butter and a large glass of seriously quaffable house red (£4.25) kicked off the meal on a very positive note. 


A starter of arancini (£5.45) was a well-flavoured piece of homely cooking – the risotto balls, flecked with bolognese and ham, were topped with a fresh tasting tomato sauce and melted cheese. However, the soggy crumb coating and overcooked rice were a big letdown. 


Whilst Mrs G’s starter wasn’t easy on the eye, it tasted much better. A generous portion of prawns and baby mushrooms (£5.75) were coated in a flavour-packed sauce of garlic and white wine.


Mains were the strongest suit.

A brick of lasagne (£8.95) was everything it should be – tender pasta, creamy béchamel, meaty bolognese and oozy cheese. 


Mrs G’s main, Penne Zio Pin (£9.45), saw al dente pasta and a deliciously light sauce of chicken, pancetta and tomato. 


Unfortunately, things came tumbling down with what should have been a very interesting pair of desserts.

Chocolate Nemesis (£4.50), as made famous by the legendary River Café, was a fridge cold lump of overly-rich solid chocolate cake.


Limoncello tart (£4.50) was even worse – an average lemon tart was spoiled by a shot of limoncello which had been poured over the top. Soggy pastry and the harsh taste of alcohol were the notable features. 


There’s a lot I like about Zio Pin – I’ll most certainly go back for a plate of lasagne and a pint or two in their bar. However, I’ll definitely be giving their dessert board a miss.

The Details:

Address - Zio Pin, 74 Albany Road, Cardiff CF24 3RS
Telephone - 02920 485673
Zio Pin on Urbanspoon

1 comment:

  1. Thanks for writing this blog, I was interesting in reading it as I am planning a trip to Cardiff and wanted to find out where the best places to eat are. I love pizza and will definitely be giving this restaurant a try. The food looks really good in the photos.

    Faith Thomas @ The Berry Farm

    ReplyDelete