Ciro's Pomodoro

Critic´s Review

• Food: 3 / 5
• Service: 3.5 / 5
• Decor: 3.5 / 5

-By Deepali Gupta

Food meets clubbing in this import from Beauchamp Place, London

If you've always wanted to know what the stars eat on their pizzas check out Ciro's Pomodoro.

Atmospherics: Airy and well-lit thanks to full-length glass windows, Ciro's Pomodoro started out life in a single location in London's clubbing district, but has become a worldwide chain in countries as far as Latvia and Pakistan. Set over two floors, pictures of celebrities line the walls, not because Ciro's is a wannabe joint, but because the first restaurant in London was the haunt of every celebrity in that city. As of now, the Delhi branch is rather quiet but once it hits its stride, it will probably metamorphose into an apres party place for a quick bite. During the day, of course, it will be filled with ladies who lunch.

Table Talk: There are a variety of bread preparations (Rs 150-375) that the menu starts with, so you know you are in a restaurant that caters to the late-night crowd who has been out partying. The best of the salads and appetizers is the lonza tonnato (Rs 500). It is a preparation that is not seen very often in the NCR and is composed of thin slices of braised pork loin covered over with tuna sauce. Pork and fish may sound like a bizarre combination but it is a classical Italian marriage that works brilliantly. Risotto con frutti di mare (Rs 850) or seafood risotto was packed with shrimp chunks and squid rings, and if the rice was not cooked al dente, the whole appeal of the dish worked and was filling enough to justify its rather high price.

I chose not to have a main course but instead ordered a pizza: Pizza pesto. Honestly, it was not too impressive. The crust was hard and crisp and the toppings so many that the pesto was edged out. Perhaps Ciro's was having a bad hair day because the chef is not only an Italian national, he is from Naples, the birthplace of the pizza.

Plus and minus: A word of advice to the owners: do let the brand do what they know best: run restaurants. Tweaking and interfering will result in a confused product.