Strada Review - Family Favourites

This week instead of sharing a Family Favourites recipe I am sharing one of our Family Favourites restaurants.

During our weekend at Sherwood Forest Center Parcs we had a meal at Strada the Italian restaurant. We all enjoy Italian food so we were all looking forward to the meal.

Strada is a light, roomy restaurant that allows each table to have their own space. For a family restaurant there is nothing worse than the tables being too close together and claustrophobic. Strada have developed the ideal balance. The restaurant is divided over two levels with a small soft play area for children and space to walk around.

We were sat at our table and the children were immediately given their own menus and crayons to keep them busy. The restaurant really does focus on the whole family and aim to provided an all round excellent eating experience for the whole family.

Our waitress, Emma, was simply delightful. She paid attention to the children, answered any questions that we had and was always happy to help.

When it came to ordering we knew that we would be putting Strada to the test. My Dad suffers with a garlic allergy and Italian food is well known for it's garlic content. Emma assured us that all of the meals from Strada are freshly cooked and therefore ingredients can either be added or removed as per the customers dietary requirements. There are too many family restaurants that rely on pre prepared meals so it was refreshing to hear that all the meal are freshly made.

The children's menu had plenty of choice and the portions were extremely generous. We did order a pizza each for the twins which really was too much as it was a regular sized pizza. The next time we visited we were able to order just one pizza between the two of them which was the perfect size. However the child's pizza was the perfect size for Joseph, who is 10 and has a huge appetite.

For starter we ordered two portions of Olive Di Castelvetrano, green Sicilian olives and two portions of Cesto Di Pane, a selection of Italian breads, olive oil and balsamic vinegar, between 5 adults. There was just the right amount for everyone to share. The twins and Joseph enjoyed Cheesy Garlic Flatbreads.

There was no rush from the restaurant to get through the courses. It really was a lovely, relaxed atmosphere.

Next came our delicious main courses!

I chose the Salmone which was salmon wrapped in crispy Parma ham, served with lentils, spinach, green beans and honey mustard dressing. This meal was divine. The salmon was perfectly cooked and accompanied with the lentils, spinach and green beans makes this not only an extremely tasty meal but also a meal which is also full of goodness.

My mum decided to have the Tagliata, which was sliced sirloin steak, wild rocket, spinach, green beans, plum tomatoes and Grana Padano shavings. The steak was cooked to perfection as it was requested.

My mother in law chose the Saltimbocca which is pork fillet, crispy Parma ham and sage, served on mash with green beans and a buttery sage sauce. The mash was so creamy and smooth it was a delicious accompaniment to the pork fillet.

My dad requested the Cavatappi Pollo Crema which was corkscrew pasta, chicken and sliced mushrooms in a creamy tarragon sauce. Finished with fresh parsley and salsa verde. As my dad is allergic to garlic, the garlic was removed for the dish. For an allergy sufferer, like my dad, knowing that the meals are freshly prepared was a relief as he was able to enjoy the meals that he wanted to eat without worrying about unknown ingredients.

For dessert the hubby and I indulged in a 'Ubrico' Affogato this was iced nougat semifreddo ice cream with an espresso and an amaretto liqueur shot to pour over the top. This was a bowl of total temptation, the sweetness of the ice cream, the sharpness of the espresso combined with the warmth of the liqueur made this desert simply heavenly.

We were all delighted with our experience at Strada. The food, the environment, the atmosphere and the service that we received was all first class. The staff, especially our waitress Emma, were extremely friendly and happy to help. We were so pleased with our meal we returned the following day and were greeted with smiles for Emma, who remembered that my dad was allergic to garlic! The personal touch made the visit even more special.

Our lovely waitress Emma

Strada is the perfect place to eat with either family or as a couple. This restaurant caters for everybody and I would thoroughly recommend eating there! Strada is now one of our Family Favourite restaurants.

Disclosure: This meal was provided for the purpose of this post and was part of the Center Parcs Family Blogger package. No payment was received. All views and opinions are my own and 100% honest.