What Sophie Said

Italian food is always a good idea. Anyone who knows me knows to suggest an Italian if we're going out for dinner, and there are so many chain restaurants that do it pretty well. Zizzi is a personal favourite, and after a long work day last week, we headed there for some much-needed comfort food. It was my first trip to the O2 branch, and I was impressed. Zizzi restaurants have a really distinctive decorative style, and this one is no exception. They always fill the space really well without it feeling crowded. The open kitchens are always a feature, and I always enjoy being able to see the chefs doing their work. We started with the garlic and rosemary bread, which I've got to say was much more crunchy than I would have liked, but the flavour was delicious. The mains we ordered were a classic Margherita pizza (I'm always the simple, predictable one), and a calzone with chicken and spinach. The food was delicious, and the servic...

It’s no secret that I love Italian food. It’s always my default, and especially when eating out there just seems to be something for everyone. Here’s a rundown of three places I’ve loved eating at recently. Spaghetti House Spaghetti House have numerous locations across London and I’ve been consistently impressed. I’ve found there’s occasionally slow service, but the quality of the food is brilliant. On this particular visit, we sampled the garlic bread (the best I’ve had anywhere), a burger and chips, and classic tomato and basil spaghetti. With pasta made fresh and beautiful ingredients, this is a chain I know I’ll keep returning to. L’Ulivo I stumbled across L’Ulivo on a day out with my parents, and it turned out to be a great discovery. We went at a late summer’s lunchtime, and sat outside near busy Leicester Square. Although the service was a little slow, the meals were delicious. My pasta was full of perfectly roasted vegetables, ...

It can be easy to get stuck in a bit of a rut with restaurants, and keep returning to a place where you know the menu and you know you’ll have a good evening. A few weeks ago, Andy and I decided to swap our usual Italian choice for another Poynton restaurant, Ciao. We have eaten there before, but quite a long time ago, and we decided it was well worth another visit. It was a Saturday night, about 7pm, and it was packed. Whilst we were there, they had to turn a couple of groups away as every table was full. Despite that, it didn’t feel busy or crowded. Instead, there was a lovely atmosphere, and you could tell the restaurant owners knew plenty of their regular customers very well. The overall fell was friendly and bustling, and we settled in for some food. We had had a fairly large lunch that day, and baked cakes too, so decided to skip starters and go straight to main meals. Despite that, they actually brought over a complimentary round of bread and butter, whic...

Sometimes, when you go out for dinner, you want simple food that’s done really, really well. A pizza at a restaurant just has so much more flavour than one you’d buy at home, and that’s what I went for when I ate out with the girls a couple of weeks ago. Anyway, I’m jumping ahead, so let’s start at the beginning… Piccolino is an Italian restaurant in Bramhall, and one you can rely on to have something for everyone. They have an extensive menu, incorporating pizzas, pastas, fish and meat dishes, and everything I’ve tried has been so tasty. Right in the centre of the village, it has a lovely bar at the front, then opens up into a restaurant, with an open kitchen where you can watch the food being prepared. It’s a favourite spot for many, and I’ve been there a lot, whether it’s just for drinks, or for food as well. A few weeks ago, me and two friends needed a bit of a catch-up, and went for an early Piccolino tea. I think we were there about 6pm on a Monday, so it was al...

In December, I had an evening with my friend Jen at Gusto in Cheadle Hulme. A popular chain, it’s a place we know we’ll get good food and enjoy a nice atmosphere. Cheadle Hulme’s Gusto is situated on a main road, and has a full wall of floor-to-ceiling windows, often covered in beautiful little lights. It is large, high-ceilinged, and with heavy wooden furniture. Gusto has an extensive menu, making it perfect for even the fussiest of eaters, and it means you can try something different each time. We decided to go classic on this trip – I opted for a pepperoni pizza, and Jen a Gusto burger. When it’s pouring down and freezing outside, all you want is brilliant comfort food! The food was yummy as expected, and we both jumped at the chance to check the dessert menu. Jen had the hazelnut brownie, and I had little mini donuts. They come with chocolate and cream, but I don’t like cream so was given double chocolate – I’m not complaining at that on...