Family Traveller’s Digital Expert, Fred Attrill and his wife, Sarah, take time out to sample a hassle-free, date night menu that will have you on the phone booking the babysitter in minutes.
Do the words ‘date night’ fill you with false promise, and memories of ditched dinner plans and abandoned cinema seats? When you have a young family, escaping for an evening can be a military operation. But what if, aside from arranging childcare, all the other decisions were made for you?
We had the chance to take date night up a gear, and have all the hard decisions made for us – apart from choosing the wine that is. If you’re like us and enjoy the simplicity of authentic Italian cuisine, then Tozi should be on your foodie hit list. It’s Venetian menu of cicchetti (small sharing plates) and truly extensive all-Italian wine list ticked all the boxes. Luckily for us, and you, the team at Tozi have carefully selected a four course ‘Treat Night’ feast for two, all for £100.
In the heart of Victoria, London, the restaurant is airy and unassuming, with a buzzing atmosphere that gives you just the right amount of elbow space and charm. Once greeted and seated, we pondered the drinks menu and each selected one of their classic Italian cocktails to whet our appetites. The ‘Treat Night’ selection is a food-only set menu, and once we’d taken our time enjoying our Negronis, our first course arrived. A stunning burrata and tomato salad, a delicate board of charcuterie meats, and a beautifully fresh plate of calamari – all accompanied by a basket of breads including a super tasty seeded cracker. The olive oil for dipping was accompanied by one of the most deliciously rich balsamic glazes that we’ve tasted. Next, we enjoyed a pasta course, my stand-out dish of the night – Buffalo Ricotta Ravioli with black truffle.
This arrived alongside a plate of pappardelle with wild boar ragout. The hand cut pasta was silky, delicate and beautifully fresh – all you could want from affordable Venetian-Italian cuisine. If your knowledge of Italian wines stops at Chianti, as ours did, then ask the waiting staff for a little advice to help you along your way. After a couple of little tasters, we settled on a beautiful Nero D’avola from Sicily which paired perfectly with the pasta and our remaining meat/fish course.
We finished up our savoury dishes with ox cheek and a delicate portion of cod with green lentils. Both as wonderfully simplistic and tasty as the courses before, with just the right amount to share or eat in its entirety (if you and your date can be in agreement about who gets what).
To top off the feast, not only did we get a delightful bespoke bouquet from Chic Flower Design, we were also offered dessert to eat in or take away – quite an ingenious idea for those of us that need to get home to the little ones. We opted to stay in and finish the pudding at the table and were each served a portion of chocolate and amaretto bonet.
Overall, we found the courses a delight. The size of each plate was perfect to share, and after finishing all four we were comfortably fed without overindulging – which I often find is an achievement in itself. Lastly, you must try a glass of the Franciacorta (sparkling wine) if you can find the time to slot it in-between courses.
The Tozi Treat Night feast is just the ticket for Mother’s Day or date night, priced at £100 for two, including flowers. See the full menu on the Tozi website.
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