Bar Gigi – Italian – Nottingham
I often lament the lack of good Italian food in Nottingham so it’s about time I gave Bar Gigi a shot. Opening in 2021 it describes itself as a ‘Modern Italian’s restaurant. Inside it really fits the bill, a sense of history and character from wooden beams but primarily a smart contemporary aesthetic. The seating snakes nicely around a central bar which keeps things spacious and light. Apparently no restaurant can open (or survive?) without a central ‘small plates’ concept. If you long for more traditional Italian fare then you may be disappointed. They do offer 3 larger dishes that could be considered a main course but I didn’t try any of those this evening. Their mostly Italian wine list and large and quite impressive by Nottingham standards.
—
—
Panzanella (£9.5) brings a bit of personal nostalgia having served it at probably my first dinner party in my early 20s! A simple dish of bread and tomatoes you don’t see it too often. It was certainly pretty with lots of varieties that had been well sourced and with good flavour. The advertised ‘focaccia crisps’ didn’t quite work as the bread element. It needed to be thinner, these shards were rock solid and hard work. Normal focaccia would have been an improvement. Sticking with the salads some grilled artichokes (£11) were enjoyable alongside cannellini beans and ribbons of courgette. A lemon and herb dressing coating everything in zesty harmony.
—
—
Perhaps the star of the show were scallops (£15). Simply cooked but excellent quality with lovely natural sweetness. Nice to have the coral too which you rarely see these days. In truth the advertised miso and bergamot was almost non-existent, probably a positive allowing the shellfish to shine. Prawns (£17) were also fine specimens and nicely charred with a hint of smokiness. The romesco sauce (N.B. the menu said romanesco but I couldn’t see any brassicas!) was perhaps a little too fiery, hot paprika dominating your palate when you got anything more than a drop. Pork belly (£13.5) was the sort of dish you could have as a main course. The two substantial slabs didn’t have the pretty presentation of other dishes but were no less tasty. Some ‘apple anise ketchup’ was the main accompaniment. It was apple sauce, why mess with the classics as a happy bedfellow it was.
—
—
Dessert was the least successful part of the meal. Chocolate mousse with sea salt, orange and olive oil could have worked. Oil is a somewhat popular element on sweet dishes now but when I have had it it’s high quality oil with a distinctive profile. Here it was lacking in any flavour and drowning it it which only served in making the dish cloying and, well… oily. The mousse itself was capably made but a darker chocolate would have been preferable.
—
—
Service was keen however a few missed steps. Most significantly we ordered some antipasti which never arrived. Generally it just wasn’t quite matching the slick surroundings and price point. Prices. I did think it was a little punchy. Everything was a couple of pounds more than the likes of Iberico, Mesa and other small plated establishments. That said there was little to fault with the cooking and the ingredient quality impressed me. It might not hit the spot for a traditional Italian venue but is a welcome addition to the food scene nonetheless.
—
If you enjoy my content why not support the site and buy me a coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/alecfrusher