Gusto restaurant has been reborn in Parliament Street after the West Bridgford branch closed a year ago.
Walking into the restaurant you can see the effort that has been put into making Gusto stand out.
The beautiful décor had a warm and welcoming feel to it and cheered me up on a miserable rainy day in Nottingham.
I visited on the day of their grand opening – December 6 – at 12:30pm.
When entering I was welcomed by friendly approachable smiles from all staff members and directed straight to my seat where I had a lovely view of their pizza oven.
It was such a great view that it influenced my decision to order a margarita pizza.
My waiter, Ben, a sports science student at Nottingham Trent University, took my order and was incredibly helpful.
He was also happy for a chat, making me feel welcome, and often checked on me to make sure everything was ok with my order.
Now the best bit, the food…
The pizza arrived swiftly, fresh out of the nearby oven. Presentation was basic but elegant.
The taste was a little salty for my liking but I still enjoyed it very much – it definitely hit the spot and I was ready for desert.
I opted for Italian Gelato, choosing two scoops of strawberry and one scoop of vanilla with an espresso.
Again, presentation was basic but elegant. The Gelato made me feel like I was back on a Sicilian beach enjoying a scoop.
The vanilla on the other hand didn’t do it for me – it tasted a bit like a marshmallow – I’ll probably try the chocolate next time.
It could have probably also done with a wafer biscuit or something on the side that would have topped it off for me but overall it was delicious.
Once I demolished everything it was off to the bar where the exceptional service continued.
The bartenders were again incredibly welcoming and recommended a glass of the Trebbiano Debabruzzo 2020 white.
It was one of the best white wines I have tasted in a long time and I was grateful for the recommendation.
Overall the atmosphere was warm, welcoming and friendly and the food was good. I was well looked after and will definitely be returning for round two.
