Another
post long overdue and one I really need to share – for more reasons than one. I’d
heard so many good things about Nonna’s in Woburn Sands, on social media as
well as through friends and colleagues. When we were organising our latest
girls night out, we decided on a meal there and Vanessa booked us a table for
four on a Saturday night.
One
thing I’ll mention about the restaurant is although it’s quite small (well
where sat near the entrance and bar was; it was a bit of a squeeze), it is
accessible. There was a larger party next to us, celebrating a 90-something-th
birthday and the birthday girl was wheeled out in a wheelchair, no problem –
although we did have to get up and move. On the subject of space, booking is
highly recommended, even if you’re after a table for two, especially at the
weekend. It was busy when we arrived and continued to be so, throughout the
night.
Nonna’s
serve Mediterranean cuisine. It’s mainly Italian, but the owner is Maltese and
while I’ve never been to Malta, I’d say that some of the offerings are Southern
Med, so surely Maltese and Greek-inspired? The menu is quite small, which is
always a winner in my book, as you know everything’s going to be fresh. That
said, it was still quite a dilemma deciding what to order.
As
everyone knows, I have a massive sweet tooth and will always be dessert over
starter – but the rest of the table decided to order starters and Sam said she
was going to have the calamari, so I caved and ordered a starter too – the calamari,
of course! It was nice, but I found the portion size quite small. I’m always a
fan of all parts of the squid too and this was just rings. It must have been
good though, as I ate it so quickly! Rebecca ordered the bruschetta (her go-to
Italian starter) and I literally have no idea what Vanessa ordered, even after
re-checking the menu.
For
my main course, I stuck with seafood, after much deliberation. There was a
vongole linguni on the specials menu and the waitress recommended it, as the
specials change more regularly than the main menu... this just means I need to
return to have all of the other dishes which caught my eye. When we were in
Palermo, I had the most amazing vongole spaghetti at Il Mirto e La Rosa and I’m
being totally honest when I say this dish rivalled that. In fact, the portion
size was definitely more suited to my appetite at Nonna’s, so it actually has
the upper-hand – I ate it all. The linguini was cooked perfectly, the garlic
and herb sauce stuck to the pasta and was so flavoursome. I even had the added
bonus of no empty shells!
Again,
I don’t exactly remember what the rest of the table had – I think Rebecca chose
the diavola pizza; Vanessa also ordered from the specials menu and it was kinda
like a mezze platter with two kinds of meat, salad and flatbread; while Sam
went off menu and the chef made her a chicken salad with a dressing on the
side. If my vongole wasn’t as amazing as it was, I’d have definitely got food
envy – the salad was huge and the chef really pulled it out of the bag! There
were a flurry of empty plates – the food was that good!
After
sinking a couple of bottles of prosecco, we decided against dessert – although the
options were tempting. I don’t think I could have managed one, but I regret not
having an affogato. There are also ‘his’ and ‘hers’ after-dinner cocktails,
although I’m a massive espresso martini fan, which was supposed to be ‘his’.
Two
courses and two bottles of prosecco (plus tip) came in at £33 each, which I
think is great value. I was definitely expecting to pay more (and actually went
out for dinner the following week, had a dessert too and paid well over double
that!). The service was pretty good throughout, other than a mix-up at the beginning
with the prosecco. But our waitress was friendly, helpful and welcoming.
Before
I finish this post off, please sign this petition to save Nonna’s. The current
license does not allow for the serving of alcoholic beverages on a Monday,
Tuesday, or on terraced areas of the restaurant, which means it doesn’t operate
standard restaurant hours. For a small independent family business, this can be
hugely detrimental and I for one would be really sad if Nonna’s were to close –
especially if a big-money chain goes
in their spot!
Love,
Lucy xx
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Love, Lucy xx