Zizzi - Norwich

Fionnuala Sheehan (13 November 2006)

While we looking at the menus we were brought (on request) a bowl of kalamata olives and bread. The olives were juicy and flavourful, the bread warm and crusty, and came with olive oil and balsamic vinegar to dip in. We also had a 125ml glass of prosecco each (which hadn't been available in an Italian-run restaurant we had been in the night before).

Starters: I had insalata tricolore (avocado, fresh spinach, cherry tomatoes, baby mozzarella, pesto dressing): the mozzarella was the best part of the salad, with a creamy texture and pleasant delicate flavour; the tomatoes had a good flavour but were slightly soft, the avocado was not quite ripe enough; and the spinach was nice and fresh.

My dad had goat's cheese bruschetta which was beautiful; thick crunchy bread and crumbly cheese with a perfectly melted rim. My mum had tortellini with tartufo (truffle) filling and rocket leaves which she was very happy with; I'm not very fond of tortellini myself but the filling had a good truffle flavour. We had a plate of rocket and parmesan salad to share between us which wasn't particularly inspiring.

For a main course I had pizza del contadino (goat's cheese, aubergine, porcini mushrooms, roast peppers and mozzarella) and my parents both had pasta zafferano. I was delighted with my pizza; each topping had a distinctive flavour and tasted like it had been prepared separately with some care rather than just thrown on raw from a pre-chopped vat and stuck in the oven. There was plenty of goat's cheese and just the right amount of each vegetable. The aubergine was a little dry but acceptable; the mushrooms were moist and the peppers sweet but not overbearing.

My parents weren't as happy with their pasta; my mum thought that it had too many conflicting flavours and didn’t quite work. I can't remember exactly what the ingredients were but crayfish, saffron, a small amount of leek, and lemon were involved.

For dessert, I had caramelised banana with toffee and chocolate sauce on a Belgian waffle, which was as sweet as it sounds. A little too sweet in fact but I enjoyed it all the same. My mum had lemon tart which had a nice natural lemon flavour and creamy texture. Dad has a kind of mousse-y chocolate dessert that I can't remember the name of but he was reluctant to share since it was so good.

To finish we had coffee and tea. I didn't get an opinion on the coffee but my tea was nice and hot and came in a decent-sized porcelain pot. The staff were very friendly and helpful, the decor clean and modern with plenty of style, and the setting good (Tombland, right beside the cathedral). I'll definitely be going back!