Celebrity chef Gino D’Acampo has launched his brand new restaurant.
Luciano's in Alderley Edge has already been raved about on social media since the TV star visited on Monday (January 24).
To see if the Italian eatery has substance to back up the Mediterranean style, CheshireLive visited the London Road restaurant.
Here's what they found.
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As soon as you walk through the restaurant doors, diners definitely feel like they're enjoying a special occasion.
The atmosphere was pure Alderley Edge style; with dance music playing in the background, modern decor (rather unchanged from the previous tenants, Piccolino), a fully kitted out bar and a hazy evening lighting.
We were guided into the all-weather outdoor covered terrace, and the heat lamps made the area very comfortable and warm, perfect on a freezing January night.
After being greeted by friendly staff, we sat on a comfy seat, and ordered drinks.
To complement my meal, I was recommended a bottle of 2020 Falanghina white wine (£42). The huge range of Italian wines on the menu are in line with Gino’s brand, but there are also other wines from the rest of the world to choose from.
To open the evening, we were served two cicchetti dishes; some cerignola olives (£5) and some bread with basil pesto dip (£5). The basil dip was a stand-out, it had a lovely strong flavour with a cheese mixed within. It was a great start to the meal.
For starters, or antipasti, I took Gino's personal advice and went for the calamari fritti.
On launch night, Gino told Cheshire Live: “We have the best calamari fritti ever, because we do that with roasted peppers, which is fantastic.”
The crispy fried calamari is served with a lemon, and ‘confit garlic mayonnaise’ (£12).
It looked great, with a generous portion size for a starter dish.
The seafood itself was fresh and soft, and the lemon added a tang which went well with the octopus. Gino was right, the fried peppers were a unique twist to the traditional calamari, and a change I thoroughly enjoyed.
It was difficult to taste the garlic in the mayonnaise, it definitely could have been stronger. If I hadn't been told it was a garlic mayonnaise dip, I am unsure if I would have figured it out through taste.
For the main course, linguine vongole (£18) was again recommended by Gino, who called it “bloody awesome”.
It was beautifully presented; scattered with cooked baby plum tomatoes, parsley and bottarga, which is a delicacy of salted, cured fish roe.
The main was perfect for a hungry diner. They did not skimp out on the clams, nor the pasta.
The dish was fresh, a bit more parsley could have provided a greater balance of flavour, but a sprinkling of parmesan cheese went well with the seafood and bottarga-scattered pasta.
As one of my favourite pasta dishes, I was satisfied with this dish, especially the amount on the plate.
For dessert, or dolci, upon server recommendation, I ordered the panna cotta.
It is described as a “vanilla panna cotta with blackberries and honeycomb” (£8).
Served in a glass, the dessert was smooth, light, with a brilliant well-balanced vanilla flavouring. There were blackberries, as well berry jelly and a compote on top.
The honeycomb was a stand-out element of the dessert, its sweetness and stickiness worked perfectly with the creamy dish.
It was a rather big portion which I struggled to finish, possibly the desserts would be better to share after a starter and main course.
The atmosphere definitely shone as a highlight of the evening, as well as the friendly staff. The food itself doesn't shine miles above other Italian restaurants' offerings, but the ambience does elevate the experience.
The prices are undeniably on the higher side for an Italian restaurant, with one of the steaks on the a la carte menu costing £69. However, this is not too out of place on the Alderley Edge restaurant and bar scene.
If you are looking for an affordable Italian meal, this is not the restaurant for you. But if you are aware of the prices that are usually associated with this prestigious Cheshire village, then it would be a great night out.
With the bar island and extensive drinks menu, I can definitely see the potential for the restaurant to be a great, albeit not cheap, night out, as well as a dining experience.
It is definitely a menu for a special night out, the ‘upmarket’ experience that Gino was striving for.
Luciano initially seems to fit well into the well-established Alderley Edge scene.
