The other week I had the pleasure of dining out at the Gusto Restaurant and Bar in Cookridge to sample their new additions to their menu. A while back I reviewed this same Italian restaurant and loved it! You can find the review for that here.
On this occasion I tried some mocktails, three of their starters, six main dishes and three scrumptious desserts. Here’s what they were and what I thought!
We were greeted by welcome drinks of which I had the non-alcoholic version. The first which included elderflower and cucumber was super refreshing followed by a sweeter palate cleanser.
For starters there were three new additions:
Burratina Mozzarella which was presented on a bed of pickled radicchio and rocket, drizzled with smoked garlic oil. Giving that tangy crunch was the Pane Gratuga which is the spiced breadcrumb mix made of olive oil, capers, anchovies and chilli. This was an unusual starter being quite sweet with the garnish. If you are a lover of mozzarella you will love this!
Asparagus Spears consisted of three spears and sliced pepper drizzled with olive oil. They were slightly salted and super tasty. The side pot of dolcelatte mayonnaise complimented the starter well.
Salmon Bruschetta was basically smoked salmon on two sliced of ciabatta toasted slices. I’ve never enjoyed bruschetta so much and would definitely say this was my favorite starter. To make this starter even more succulent on the taste buds, it was served with mascarpone, pickled radicchio, chives and drizzled with lemon dressing.
There were six yummy main dishes too:
Pan fried Chicken with Polenta was amazing! I love my chicken dishes so this breast of chicken sat on a bed of herbed polenta, mixed wild mushrooms and a drizzle of tarragon cream sauce was mmmmm! To be extra picky about this dish, I would say I wish there was more polenta but that’s just because I loved it that much.
Smoked Duck Salad consisted of Radicchio, lollo biondi, fennel and orange salad with lemon dressing. There are so many salad options to picked from on the menu so worth looking at it you want something lighter than usual. That being said, the portions are pretty generous. This salad was topped with spiced breadcrumbs.
Smoked cheese Haddock Risotto with baby spinach, peas and a runny poached egg. This was drizzled with ‘Mouclade’ sauce made from mussels, white wine, cream and a hint of curry.
Pan Fried Halibut which is a fillet on a bed of grilled aubergine, served with smoked garlic, aubergine puree and roasted vine tomatoes. I cannot remember ever trying this type of fish before but I absolutely loved it. The aubergine puree was something I enjoyed more than I thought I would soo! The basil butter was a great finishing touch too.
Spinach Timbale is a spinach and ricotta timbale served with spiced tomato, avocado, asparagus, red peppers, tomato petals and red pepper puree. Very healthy sounding but I was ultimately impressed by how interesting it looked and and tasted for a vegetarian dish. I would highly recommend this a a vegetarian option! the presentation is on point and it is garnished with edible flowers! yummm.
Garganelli Primavera is a pasta dish in a creme fraiche and cream sauce, with asparagus, carrots, broccoli, pine nuts and broad beans. This is one of the many pasta dishes Gusto has to offer. From meat dishes to vegetarian options, this pasta main was delicious without any meat.
To finish off the evening these were the three desserts:
Summer Jelly which contains prosecco, red currants, strawberries, raspberries and blackberries. So all the summer fruits in one jelly. This came with a scoop of amazing mango, pineapple salsa and eton mess ice cream. If you choose this as a dessert, the ice cream is a great finisher to any meal!
Chocolate Mousse was my favourite dessert hands down. Not just any chocolate mousse I may point out but a rich chocolaty mousse topped with orange chantilly cream. This came with three gluten free shortbread biscuits. Thumbs up for having a gluten free dessert option.
Almond Milk Panna Cotta was topped with honeycomb, red currants, almonds, mint and lemon curd. If you are a fan of panna cotta this will be right up your street. This was my least favourite dessert as I have never really loved panna cotta but that’s just my opinion.
Overall, Gusto has added some seasonally exceptional dishes to their current menu. Why not pop by and try it out for yourself!
Will you be tasting the new Gusto menu anytime soon?