A taste of the Med Restaurant Review - EThirty-Nine

the slight crunch of the pistachio, were a combination I had not experienced on a pizza before. Honestly, all other pizza will pale in comparison for me now.

The risotto I had to accompany, again, was faultless. Although by now I was struggling to find room for it all with dessert still to come. Not one to let good food go to waste, I asked if I could have the pizza boxed up and the remaining risotto too. I was already looking forward to eating it all again the following day, it was that good.

The recently opened (as of only last month) E Thirty-Nine on Western Road is the closest thing I have tasted to real Mediterranean food on British soil. And as you would expect from any Mediterranean restaurant worth its salt, the waiters and waitresses are very friendly, attentive and know everything about every dish and glass of wine on the menu. Which was very helpful for someone who regrettably isn’t that great at navigating his way through a menu that isn’t in English.

As you approach the building (the former Purezza site) you can’t help but notice the large glass window front of the building, which is gilded in a classic Art Deco style, giving a feel of elegance as you enter.

There has clearly been great due care and attention given for the interior design of the restaurant as it oozes rustic Mediterranean.

The hanging fishing ropes and boating ores are a subtle nod to the seafood specialities the restaurant offers, all of which are locally sourced.

I opted for The Black Tiger King Prawns and Trio of Bruschetta (Meat, Fish and Veggie) to start and they were so ornately presented you are almost reluctant to dig in, although that didn’t stop me. And the prawns in particular were amazing, so much so that I wanted to order more. But I had to exercise some restraint knowing there was an extensive menu to work my way through.

Moving onto the mains, I was told that the pizza chef hailed from Napoli - the birthplace of pizza. This came as no surprise after gorging on a Le Du Sicillie Pizza, which came with a sprinkling of pistachio. I opted for a charcoal base, which is one of three bases you can choose from, the other two being Napoletano Contemporanea or Tumeric. The darker colour, the fluffiness of the dough and

Finally, with what little room I had left, I moved onto the dessert. Much like the starters they came out looking almost too good to eat. I could not decide between Tiramisu or Cannoli, so I chose both. And although I let my gluttony get the better of me, I am glad I did. They were both so rich and flavoursome, it would have been a crime if I had had one and not the other. Although, I did have to pause halfway through, firstly to wait for the food to go down so I had more room; secondly to contemplate how I was going to get up from my seat and make it home having indulged in so much food.

That said, I will be coming back as soon as I can to sample more of the fish and meat options, such as the Chef’s Speciality Seafood (for two) and prime fillet steak. There is only so much one man can eat in one go. E