Review: The Penwortham Italian restaurant that gets it very right, even when it gets it slightly wrong

We’d opted to sit outside because, like Salvatore’s, I believe that there is no such thing as too many fairy lights, and anything that doesn’t move quick enough in the enclosed outside area at the front of the restaurant is going to get festooned. The outdoor heaters are a slightly less magical looking addition, but welcome nevertheless, and the fencing with box hedges around the sides of the area protect diners from the worst of the weather and the view of the main road. Very cosy.

We’d decided to forgo the starters because we hoped to have enough room for desserts, and our mains arrived in good time.

The Scouser ordered chicken with a selection of potatoes and seasonal vegetables for £21, which included a choice of sauces: Al Pepe Verde, Formaggio, Calabrese or Diane. He opted to go for the Formaggio, and asked for it on the side because he likes to see what he’s working with. He also asked for extra potatoes instead of the veg, as he was on a night out and didn’t want it ruined by foliage. The waiter explained that the chef usually finished the chicken in the sauce but as it was being served on the side, they had butterflied it. Perhaps that was what made the meat a little dry, although it had a lovely flavour.

Salvatore's chicken The scouser asked for it without veg. Unlike the camera, he loves a beige meal

The roast/parameter potatoes were good, though a wee bit more crispiness would have promoted them to excellent.

The best part of the meal was the extremely generous serving of the cheesiest of all cheese sauces. It was so delicious that I was tempted to ask if I could take the rest home to make a cop-out macaroni cheese the next day but I wimped out because the Scouser looked horrified at the suggestion.

I’d ordered Bistecca Tagliata – sirloin steak on a bed of rocket, parmesan shavings, cherry tomatoes and balsamic glaze with a side of fries for £26.50.

It was a whopping chunk of meat that looked and smelled fabulous, and they hadn’t been stingy with the rocket and shavings of parmesan. I also enjoyed the presentation, which was unpretentious bordering on Dexter. It was, unashamedly, a big old plateful of meat with a steak knife sticking out of it. Unfortunately I’d asked for it to be cooked medium rare, and it was medium well. I was a couple of mouthfuls in – enough to discover that it was beautifully seasoned and without any gristle so far – when a member of staff asked if everything was alright with our meals. I mentioned that it wasn’t medium rare and she immediately apologised and took it away. A few minutes later she returned with another, and told me that the chef agreed that the first one wasn’t cooked as I’d asked, and had replaced it.

Steak dish from Salvatore's The first steak was well seasoned, but not medium rare

This one was perfectly cooked. However, it wasn’t as well seasoned and as there was a fair bit of gristle in there that wasn’t apparent in the first one, I left quite a lot of it. When I was asked if it was alright I didn’t mention anything as they’d already replaced it once and this one was cooked as I’d asked.

We’d also ordered a garlic bread with cheese for £7 to go with our mains, and it was spot on: piping hot, intensely garlicky with a nice crust and loaded with stringy, creamy mozzarella.

Salvatore's garlic bread Today is a good day

We had a look at the dessert menu but there weren’t many items on it, and they were uninspiring: two cheesecakes or a chocolate fudge cake for £7.50 each, or a trio of unspecified desserts for £7.95 that I would guess are the three items above. There were also a few ice cream sundaes for £8.50. I was disappointed that the choice didn’t include any classic homemade Italian desserts such as tiramisu, cannoli or panna cotta or even a simple affogato as, despite being quite full, I would have jammed any of those into myself. Instead we just asked for the bill because I remembered I had an emergency Starbar hidden behind a white cabbage in the fridge at home.

Despite the problem with the steak that evening, I still love Salvatore’s and would highly recommend it for the following reasons.

The staff are wonderful, and they did everything right when there was a problem with my meal. The place is beautiful inside and out, and those dining outside get as much attention as those inside, which is something that can be a stumbling block when a restaurant has additional tables outdoors.

The garlic bread and the accompaniments to our mains were lovely, and the Scouser’s cheese sauce was gorgeous. I’ve been before for pasta and pizza and they were always delicious so, although I wouldn’t order the sirloin steak again, I’d feel confident ordering something else from the menu.

One last thing that I love about Salvatore’s is that they get the lighting right. Nowadays, a leisurely, intimate candlelit meal seems to be a thing of the past, with many restaurateurs preferring to light up their diners like they’re expecting one of us to step forwards and admit to being Keyser Söze. In contrast, Salvatore’s is doggedly sticking to the good, old-fashioned Italian tradition of sending their customers home with a relaxed and happy glow instead of a migraine and a new passport photo. Never change, Salvatore’s! (Apart from adding a Tiramisu to the menu.)

Are you Keyser Söze? Tell us how you ended up in Preston in the comments.

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