If I could only eat one cuisine for the rest of my life, it would be Italian.
The mindboggling variety of dishes is one thing, but even better is how simple most of them are.
By focusing on fewer ingredients and making sure they are the best quality available, Italian food always tastes fresh and flavourful without trying too hard.
But enough of my love letter to the Italian food gods, it was time to eat and where better than at Mi Amore, which literally translates to “my love.”
The venue
Located on Huntly Street, the restaurant has been around long enough to develop a bit of a cult following.
Any time I mentioned to someone I was visiting Amore (officially it’s called Amore though everyone I spoke to called it Mi Amore), they would rave about how excellent the food was or tell me about how they are dying to visit after hearing great reviews.
My mum happens to be one of these cult followers but hadn’t visited since the restaurant changed hands a couple of years back.
I’d never been before so decided to take her, my dad and my boyfriend out for tea to see if it lived up to expectations.
The food
We arrived on a Thursday evening to find nearly every table taken.
I took this as a good omen and enjoyed seeing the hustle and bustle of a busy independent restaurant as we were shown to a table upstairs on the mezzanine.
The menu is extensive and filled with all kinds of Italian classics as well as some “Mi Amore favourites”, as my mum put it.
Cautious of filling up too much before our mains, we picked bruschetta pomodoro and calamari to share for starters, though we were also tempted by a classic caprese salad and an antipasto platter.
The bruschetta was excellent, with olive oil drizzled fresh bread and a mound of garlicky juicy tomatoes topped with fragrant fresh basil.
It disappeared quickly, as did the portion of calamari which was golden and crisp.
Our server was friendly and very efficient, and soon was plonking down huge cerulean blue bowls of pasta in front of us.
Cannelloni stuffed with ricotta cheese and spinach then oven-baked in a creamy tomato sauce arrived in front of me and I was in cheesy heaven.
It’s not what I usually go for but was rich and hearty (and possibly my new favourite).
My dad was already making headway with a large plate of seafood linguine which was loaded up with monkfish, mussels, squid and king prawns.
At the other side of the table, my mum had been delighted to find that her old Amore favourite was still on the menu – penne picante – and was as good as it had always been.
It is made up of al dente penne pasta smothered in a rich tomato sauce and topped with mushrooms and spicy slices of pepperoni.
Lobster ravioli in a white wine sauce was my boyfriend’s pick and was a generous portion which he described as very flavourful, though possibly a touch salty.
Feeling just about ready to burst, I found myself staring at the dessert menu.
Do I dare try to fit in that classic dessert of all desserts, the holy tiramisu?
It was a risk, but she who dares wins, and win I did with a beautifully light and fluffy coffee-soaked sponge.
The verdict
Amore was the perfect pick for a dinner with my folks.
Not only was the food first class, but the atmosphere and service were also excellent (even when I tipped over a glass of montepulciano and soaked the table – oops).
The restaurant had a mixture of big groups and small tables of two, many of whom seemed to be regulars.
I feel a bit like I’ve been let in on a secret, a hidden gem in Aberdeen where you go to find unfussy, unpretentious but damn tasty Italian food.
The limonchello digestif (on the house) only sweetened the deal.
The bill
For two starters, four mains, one dessert, a couple of beers and a bottle of wine, the bill came to £104.58.