Last night was DATE NIGHT! Food and adult beverages with no little people to control!
I’ve come to the realisation that my twenties are behind me and that I need a restaurant that serves amazing wine and/or cocktails and their service is friendly and efficient. I also want food that is tasty yet affordable. Lupa Osteria did not disappoint.
The restaurant is warm and inviting; you are made to feel like family visiting home the moment that you step over the threshold. Our waiter was enthusiastic and knowledgeable about the menu. I have never been to Italy, but the ambience created lends itself to a realistic peek into what an authentic little Italian restaurant would be like.
I need to let you know that I am somewhat of a pasta connoisseur. I live for carbs and if we go out, I usually go for a pasta option. I was so excited to see that Lupa Osteria has their own dough room. All of their pasta is made on site! It is all fresh! Once you have had freshly made pasta, the store bought packet variety just won’t crack it for you anymore.
For starters, Duron had the Italian nachos with arabiatta dipping sauce. His was good, but I can tell you that my meal choice won hands down. I had the whole baked camembert wrapped in parma ham served with caramelised onions and toasted bruschetta. It was out of this world. As I sliced open the neatly wrapped parcel, the melted cheese escaped its entrapment and found its way into my mouth. Heaven. In fact, now I’m hungry again. Wonder if they deliver to the southern suburbs?
For mains, I ordered the fettucine with marinara – a delectable sauce consisting of prawns, calamari, mussels, tomato, chilli and fennel cream. It was delivered wrapped in tinfoil and as the waiter unwrapped the parcel, the aromas escaped and I was left with my mouth watering. The pasta was amazing – I can highly recommend it. HOWEVER – the winner of this course was definitely Duron. He ordered the mushroom and parmesan fillet: chargrilled fillet steak and Parmesan fries with wilted spinach, mushroom sauce and crispy Parmesan onion rings. No words can do this dish justice. The steak was melt-in-your-mouth goodness, cooked to perfection. Top quality ingredients used with the most tender of steaks I have had in a while made this one of the Top Ten meals I have ever eaten.
By the time we had to choose a dessert, even our stomach were stretched to the max and the buttons on our jeans were crying nooooo – but what an injustice not to try one of their desserts that are prepared in their kitchen daily. We had crème brûlée and what a fantastic way to end off a perfect evening of dining. The hardened caramelised sugar on top was crispy but also not too hard (I hate it when I order this dessert and I feel like I may lose a tooth in the process). The dessert itself was a custardy delight.
The portion sizes were big. Let me be honest – my husband and I have never shied away from finishing a meal. In fact, I can’t even remember the last time we asked for a takeaway box – but we both came home with leftovers last night!
May I also just add that the service was impeccable. Our meals were prepared and brought to our table timeously and the waiter took great pride in his work.
We cannot wait to return to Lupa Osteria and would highly recommend it to anyone looks for the perfect date night. Delicious food, value for money and a little taste of Italy all wrapped into a fabulous restaurant.
*Images courtesy of Lupa Osteria