Romano's in Longton is so good it will convert even those who claim Italian food is not their favourite

Romano's Longton

As usual, Mr Parkinson was lobbying for an Asian-inspired meal, given his love of all things spicy...but as most of our recent meals out had taken place in Indian restaurants, it was time to stand firm.

And so it was that we (although one of us with a hint of reluctance) ended up at Romano's Italian restaurant in Longton, near Preston, of which we had heard good things locally.

We turned up early on a Friday evening and found ourselves only the second customers of the night...but that didn't last long as several couples, families and friends came through the door in the next half hour, adding to the buzzing atmosphere typical of a good Italian.

A drink was offered and ordered by the friendly waitress as we perused the fayre on offer. There was an extensive a la carte menu, featuring everything you'd expect from pasta and pizza to steaks, chicken and fish dishes, but it was the daily specials menu that caught the eye of the man across the table.

The garlic king prawns with chillis and white wine clearly had his name written on it as did the crepe Mexicana main meal.

For me, the a la carte menu provided plenty of options and I dithered before going full-on fish, choosing the calamari followed by the cod puttanesca.

The starters arrived a very reasonable 12 minutes after we ordered and were an immediate hit.

I've eaten a lot of calamari in my time, and this was the good stuff - a thin and crispy homemade batter with a gently yielding and tasty squid interior. A tangy tartare sauce and salad were perfect accompaniments.

The king prawns were perfectly cooked with a garlicky sauce and the large bread crouton which came with them was the perfect way to mop up the sauce with the prawns. The smell wafting across the table almost made me wish I'd chosen them too, but that calamari was too good to miss.

Another couple of drinks were ordered just before the main courses arrived as we chatted about the quality of what we had eaten and took the opportunity to watch other orders being shipped out. We saw some very delicious-looking pizzas heading to the two friends sitting just behind us...something to try another time, perhaps.

The sizzling crepe Mexicana then arrived, along with a large bowl of chips ordered by Mr P just in case the crepe was a little too small to satisfy his hunger.

He needn't have worried about that! His meal was stuffed full of chunks of pull-apart beef, onions, peppers, all in a spicy sauce, wrapped in a pancake and smothered in melting Italian cheese. Again it looked and smelled delicious and not a spec was left in the dish at the end.

On my side of the table a huge piece of cod was covered with puttanesca sauce - tomatoes, olives, capers, garlic and white wine. It came with a serving of perfectly cooked vegetables and sliced, roasted potatoes. The cod was flaky and delicious and not overpowered by the punchy sauce.

We would have liked to consider a pudding...but there was no point in even looking at the menu.

The bill, including drinks, came to £80. Pizzas and pasta are around £14, so reasonable for this kind of quality, and the staff were incredibly friendly and helpful...all in all a terrific experience.

So, after all that deliberation and reluctance, Romano's proved to be a hit. In fact, the best compliment I can pay them is that Mr P said it had changed his mind about Italian food and is planning to book a table next month, so we will definitely be back!

Gillian Parkinson

Romano's, 84, Liverpool Road, Longton, Preston. PR4 5NB

01772 619555

romanosrestaurant.co.uk

...