(This venue is in the Discount Directory)

Re-visited in September 2009 The four of us decided to treat ourselves to a very special pasta tasting experience! Fra Noi have just launched an 8 course Pasta Tasting menu at £37.50 a head with an option to order accompanying wines. PLEASE go to their website to read the menu, it is fabulous but far too long for me to put on here! 2 of us chose the £25 a head accompanying wines (you can choose a superior selection at £40 a head) and as I'm a heathen and don't enjoy red wine JI & I started with a glass of pink Prosecco and then shared a bottle of Pino Grigio. We had such fun tasting each course, reading the menu details, tasting the different wines, checking their details and of course Francesca and Anson were always around to explain everything. My favourite course was, in English, Black egg pasta with Jerusalem artichokes & walnut cream. SA loved the Lasagne with lentils & thyme, JI & SM the Pasta stuffed with smoked cheese & Parma ham with a rocket sauce and we all appreciated the truffle treat.... Pasta with black truffle and mushroom pesto with shavings of fresh black truffle. Please note that the Pasta Tasting requires the participation of the entire table and is only available Tuesday to Thursday Evenings and Sunday Lunch. We highly recommend for a very special evening! Actually the thing that made us happiest is how busy they were on a Tuesday evening; obviously we are not the only ones that appreciate their wonderful food, their reputation is spreading.


Visited March 2009

Francesca and Anson realised their dream of opening an authentic Italian trattoria when Fra Noi opened its doors in December 2008.  On their website they promise "Our menu is delicious but simple to ensure our service is efficient and our food is fresh. Each dish is individually prepared, the way you will expect it to be in Italy (not in the usual Italian restaurant abroad!) and "We’ll use the best Italian cheeses, cured meats and wines and extremely high quality olive oils that can't currently be found anywhere else in the UK, but shop locally for the best quality seasonal (organic when possible) ingredients." 

Fra Noi, which means among us or between us in Italian, sounded so appealing that all four of us LWL decided we had to try it so we actually ventured out at night to go for dinner!  At the moment they open Tuesday to Saturday 6.30pm - 11.00pm and Sunday 12.00pm - 3.00pm but plan to open at lunch time when the holiday season starts.  We were intrigued to try a typical Italian meal which is divided into four courses: Antipasti / Appetizers, Primi Piatti / Pasta course, Secondi piatti / meat or fish course and Dolci / Desserts, a first for us.

Fra Noi is beautifully decorated with sparkly chandeliers, a glossy and sophisticated bar yet, as each table has an individual look and the floor is bare wood it has an informal feel.

We enjoyed Mimosas (Prosecco and orange) and Bellini Rosas (Prosecco and pink grapefruit) at the bar whilst we tried to make our choices.  Sensibly we decided to ask for Francesca and Anson's advice and recommendations.  We knew that even we couldn't manage four courses so from the Antipasti menu we agreed on three choices to share: Crostini misti ( 3 different spreads:  sausage - pepper and chilly- Jerusalem artichoke and pistachio ) Tagliere di formaggi ( pecorino toscano - pecorino sardo - taleggio - gorgonzola - parmiggiano reggiano ) and Crema di patate con pancetta tostata.  We were also given a selection of their delicious home made breads; in fact we learnt that everything is made on the premises including the pasta.  We did decide to have four choices for the Primi/Pasta course: Lasagne, Mezzalune di rapa rossa (beetroot and poppy seeds), Tortelli  di ricotta e spinaci and Cannelloni (sausage and chicory).  

This meal was a refreshing change for our slightly jaded taste buds!  It was such a pleasure to try so many delicious dishes all of which had been lovingly created using such obviously fresh ingredients.  We really enjoyed everything but our slight favourites, the Costini, the Italian cheeses, the Mezzalune with beetroot and the Sfornatino.  The Pantorino was exceedingly yummy but then so were the homemade chocolates served with our coffees!

Of course we enjoyed a bottle of Pinot Grigio. 

We highly recommend Fra Noi and do hope you will give yourselves a treat and get there ASAP!  A sample menu is on their website. 

Cost £ £ £ £ £ £