A midday plate of spaghetti carbonara, a glass of something Italian and the bill still under a twenty. That is the pitch behind the lunch menu at Amore, the Italian restaurant and bar that has taken up residence at 29 Market Place in Chalfont St Peter.
The offer is straightforward. Two courses for £19.95, served at lunchtime, drawn from a shortened version of the main carte.
It is the kind of fixed-price deal that used to be a fixture of village high streets and has become harder to find. Amore has built the menu around dishes most diners actually order, rather than the odds and ends a kitchen wants to shift.
Starters run from pizza garlic bread, with or without mozzarella, to a soup of the day, a bowl of marinated olives with homemade bread, oil and balsamic, and a bruschetta di formaggio built on chargrilled ciabatta with ricotta, parmesan and pecorino, fresh herbs and slow-roasted tomatoes.
The pasta section is where the menu shows its confidence. Spaghetti pomodoro with basil and tomato, a classic bolognese, carbonara made the traditional way with pancetta, egg, cream and parmesan, and a spaghetti aglio e olio for anyone who wants garlic, olive oil, chilli and parsley and not much else.
Penne arrabiata carries the heat. Cannelloni comes filled with ricotta, spinach, parmesan and mascarpone, finished in tomato sauce and baked under mozzarella. The lasagne is layered the classic Italian way with minced meat, bechamel, herbs and mozzarella.
Pizza sits alongside the pasta on the lunch list, with a margherita, a hawaiian and a diavola of tomato, mozzarella, chilli, pepperoni and garlic. All are cooked to order.
Amore opened its doors in Chalfont St Peter earlier this year, taking over a prominent unit on Market Place in the middle of the village. The dining room leans into warm lighting and rustic textures, with the kitchen turning out the kind of food the owners describe as a home away from home for families, couples and groups of friends.
A full a la carte menu runs in the evenings, taking in appetisers such as cozze marinara and calamari croccanti, a longer list of pasta including penne forno della casa and linguine ai gamberoni, risottos, gourmet pizzas and fish mains. A curated Italian wine list covers regional selections from Gavi di Gavi to Pinot Grigio and a house rosato.
At lunch, though, the pitch is deliberately simpler. Two plates, one price, and a chance to eat properly in the middle of the day without making an event of it.
Tables can be reserved through the online booking page or by calling the restaurant on 01753 882557.
For a village that has watched more than one independent come and go, a new Italian kitchen offering a genuine fixed-price lunch is a welcome sight on the Market Place.
Dining and Cooking