Detailed review by tartlette
tartlette
Cardiff, United Kingdom93%
While in Banff, Mr Tart and I sampled numerous restaurants. We tried Giorgio’s early in the holiday and we so impressed that we returned there on our last night.
LOCATION:
Giorgio’s is located at 219 Banff Avenue, which is the main road through Banff. It is fairly easy to spot. There were steps up to the door and I didn’t see another way in so I’m not sure if wheelchairs can access the restaurant.
THE EXPERIENCE:
The restaurant is spread over three levels so it can sit quite a lot of people. Both times we went we walked straight in and got a table (including a Friday night) but if you were a bigger group or wanted it to be guaranteed I’d recommend booking.
The décor of the restaurant had quite an Italian feel about it and I really liked the atmosphere. Both times we visited the restaurant the service was excellent. We had very attentive waiters and everything was timed well.
There was a wide selection of drinks available in the restaurant. We both went for beers both times, which were averagely priced for Banff. Mr Tart looked at the wine list and was quite tempted but he said it was expensive (the cheapest glass was $9) so stuck with the beer.
The first time we went to Giorgio’s we shared a starter of mixed olives. These might be meant for one but we couldn’t finish them all off. They were really delicious and quite unusual (there were all sorts of colours I’d never seen before). For the main course I had fettuccini pollo which was pasta with chicken breast and butternut squash, and Mr Tart had buffalo and fungi papardelle, which was pasta with buffalo, mushrooms and chilli in a cream sauce. When the main courses came out we were both a little disappointed as they looked so small. However, looks really were deceiving and we both struggled to finish the food! My main was absolutely delicious and Mr Tart said the same about his. The food was piping hot which is always important to me, and it didn’t scrimp on any of the ingredients. The only slight niggle about the food was that mine was really salty, both times, and Mr Tart’s was on our second visit. I’m someone that really likes salt and I add it to all my food but I didn’t need to add any to this at all. If you’re not a big fan of salt you may want to ask them to cook your meal without it.
On our second visit we shared an antipasto platter. This came with olives, a selection of meats, bread, hard cheese and mozzarella. They were all really yummy and we were provided with loads of dipping oil and balsamic vinegar with the bread. For the main course I stuck with the fettuccini pollo as I had enjoyed it so much the first time. Mr Tart opted for the quail saltimbocca and truffle mushroom risotto. He was really impressed with this.
The menu in Giorgio’s has a good selection. The starters include calamari, beef carpaccio and pecan crusted goat cheese truffles. For the main course there are pizzas, a selection of pastas, salmon, duck and tuna. There is also a selection of grill items such as steak and veal. The prices are about average. The starters range from $5 - $25 (for the antipasto platter which is for sharing), but are mainly around $10. The mains range from $16 for a pizza to $62 for a 28oz T-bone steak, with most between $25 - $35. We didn’t have a dessert on either visit to Giorgio’s as we were so full from the main courses so I can’t comment on these.
CONCLUSION:
The fact that we went back to Giorgio’s twice when there is such a selection of restaurants in Banff shows how much we liked it. We’d earmarked the last night as a night for a romantic meal and this was where we chose for it. We were really happy with Giorgio’s. The food and service were great and the prices weren’t too bad. The only niggle was the salt but it really didn’t effect our enjoyment of the meal. Definitely recommend for a really nice meal in Banff.
Giorgio's Tratttoria9
