Si Mangia Italian restaurant....

[Mick Mac]

Si Mangia

Went there for the first time on Saturday night and we thought the food was good. But overall the experience was just an ok one.

The food was very good but not great. It seems to do the basics well. There is a lot of fish in the starter menu, prawns, calcmari and scallops and a lot of chicken *too much maybe) on the main menu. No veal and only one meat dish on the mains menu being fillet steak (not counting the sausage dish). I had the calves liver pate for starter and meatballs with fettuccini for main, both were good. A bottle of Chianti was ?21 which was fine.

Unfortunately what was bad was it had two huge and noisy tables in the main restaurant, with about 15-20 people on each, one of which was a 50th birthday, so it was incredibly noisy. We had lots of happy birthday singing and the lights dimmed for a birthday cake to be presented, all a bit tacky.

Also I was sitting under a speaker which played a whole Bryan Adams best of album the whole time we were there, and played it loud. Run to you, Anything I do etc, all his 80s/90s hits. Surely something more Italian would set the Italian restaurant scene better.

If I were to try it again I'd probably try it midweek and hope to get a quiet night to experience it in a different light, but unfortunatley it seems to see itself as a party place on a Saturday night.

But it was absolutely jammed so why would they want to change?

[????]

At least it wasn't Bruce Springsteen

[bigbadwolf]

Or Sue.

The Goose is out! Bruce returns to east dulwich - but not as you remember him.

[Marmora Man]

Mic Mac - Si Mangia usually gets a good write up here as a fair, middle priced, local eaterie. A search would reveal the full range of opinion.

My family and I use it regularly, not as a destination or special place but for good food, sensibly priced with friendly service. In my experience your noisy visit would be a one off.

[Mick Mac]

i think i did give it a fair write up mm. As i say the food was good but a mid week visit might be better next time.

[Michael Palaeologus]

I dont think that Si Mangia tries to be anything more than a local Italian restaurant. The fact that they had two full tables would seem to be a good sign these days.

[Mick Mac]

Yes MP - they were completely fully booked so as far as running a successful business they are doing everything right. I have nothing negative about Si Mangia apart from the music and the parties on Saturday night. As I said I would recommend a week night visit rather than a Saturday night, I have only been once but will be going again soon prob for lunch with the children.

I had gone to a central London Italian for lunch on Friday and had a different Italian dining experience. It was small, little circular tables, white linen tablecloths, elderly Italian gentlemen serving. It was a little like the restaurants in the Godfather movies. If anyone wants a recommendation for an Italian in London its Biagi's Upper Berkeley Street in Marylebone. It's been around a long time. It has an independent feel to it and is not expensive. So perhaps my expectations were a bit high after that.

[bob]

Have to agree with MP on this one used it a lot and enjoyed once sat under the speaker and found it to loud asked a member of staff to turn it down done no probs

Bob S

[RosieH]

Mick Mac Wrote:

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> No veal and only one meat dish on the mains menu

> being fillet steak (not counting the sausage

> dish). I had the calves liver pate for starter and

> meatballs with fettuccini for main...

Mick, what on earth did they make your meatballs out of?

[Mick Mac]

Yes - very funny Rosie - I did laugh, honest. :))

If I take your point correctly, the meatballs were not a main dish - they were on the pasta dishes (not strictly main courses)....but very nice none the less.

[RosieH]

You do, you do. Sorry, am in a sleep-deprived faint hysteria today and was just making myself laugh, for which I apologise.

You are quite correct, pasta is not officially a main.

Were they nice meatballs? I like meatballs a lot and if they're of suitable quality, may venture down there (once I've been proactive enough to look up where it is).

[Mick Mac]

They were nice Rosie - not too firm, not too soft (if you grade your meatballs the same way I do). Its on Forest Hill road - come out of the Herne Tavern and turn right up the hill on the right hand side.

[Michael Palaeologus]

I too like a meatball.

If a meatball reaches large proportions, does it then become a meatloaf?

[bigbadwolf]

No Michael. A meatball remains a meatball, regardless of it's area and volume.

[bigbadwolf]

Pinhead.

[Mick Mac]

They do have a nice website.

Si Mangia

[Michael Palaeologus]

bigbadwolf Wrote:

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> Pinhead.

Chihuahua