Prego Restaurant

On a cold, wet, blustery day, the three of us ducked into Bistro Prego, located on traffic-free Church Street in central Monmouth. Number 7 sits amid intriguing galleries, shops, a terrific greengrocer and outstanding butcher; pretty convenient for a busy chef.

Newly opened in 2007, Prego has already captured the hearts of foodies like us with the best and most interesting Italian food for miles around. It has one of those menus where you have a tough time choosing, because everything sounds so good. Unusual dishes such as Vincisgrassi, an 18th C. pasta, truffle and prosciutto dish, and Brodetto Adriatico should alert diners to the fact that Franco Taruschio - founder of the once-great Walnut Tree restaurant - is a consultant to this venture, with Steve Robbins as Head Chef and Director, who has previously worked with Franco.

Our starters were: griddled squid with chickpeas, chilli and mint; a warm salad of crisp-fried baby artichoke hearts, fennel, parmesan shavings and chickpea fritters; and a salad of buffalo mozzarella with purple sprouting broccoli and a tomato-olive oil dressing.

Squid is always tricky - cook it at too high or low a heat, and you are faced with salty rubber. But Prego's chef knows what he's doing. Mine was beautifully tender and wrapped in appetite-whetting smokiness, for which the plump, sweet chickpeas and spicy dressing were a wonderful foil. Francesca declared her mozzarella bufala excellent, but the sprouting broccoli was overcooked;it should have been al dente. Even so, a good dish, with a zesty dressing. John's salad was a joy, and we all stole a few artichoke slivers from his plate; the only tiny criticism is that, using preserved,  brined artichoke hearts means that saltiness is accentuated by the drying heat of cooking, and the salty parmesan was perhaps a sodium-hit too far.

Our mains were Tagliatelle with rabbit ragout; the warm artichoke salad etc - a starter, as F. eats like a bird; and venison pie with cranberries, chestnuts and purple sprouting broccoli (yes, again, because Prego buys what's best and freshest from the greengrocer across the lane).

The ragu was gorgeous: homely and warming, with tender shreds of slow-cooked rabbit that had imbibed the rich tomato sauce. The venison pie was BIG and very appropriate for the run-up to Christmas. When its golden dome of  crust was broken, a mouthwatering steam of tangy fruit, game and chestnuts escaped, and the non-pie two  demanded spoonfuls to taste. Very well balanced and satisfying enough for the heartiest appetite.

Go to Prego for the food. The interior atmosphere is currently a disappointment: a job lot of garish 'decor art' seascapes and abstracts that clash with everything else; dark, blood-red brick features dominate and don't have any of the warmth of the Adriatic and its sun-and-sea colours; and there are very ugly sage green skirting boards and radiators. But give the owners time. Maybe they'll realise that diners need to feel both comfortable and stimulated. We really do "eat with our eyes", but our eyes are not always on our plates. If Prego spends a little more money and thought on creating a harmonious, aesthetically pleasing interior to match its undoubted gustatory excellence  and the friendliness of the staff, this bistro will establish itself as one of the "great little discoveries" we all love making  and sharing with our favourite friends.

The best news of all?  Two yummy courses each for the three of us with two glasses of Merlot and three glasses of sparkling water came to just £58 without the tip. BARGAIN!

A review from Jude Roland