A tasty night out with generous, hearty portions

Sarah Fielden takes a visit to Marino’s Italian Ristaurante & Pizzeria in Fulwood and finds a cheap, tasty meal to banish the wintery nights

It may have opened up more than two years ago, but as a relative newcomer to Preston I was yet to try the green-fronted pizzeria in Fulwood.

So on a rainy, cold Sunday night, Mr Eating Out and I decided to venture the short distance to Marino’s on Watling Street Road.

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After a hectic weekend involving car break-downs and a long wait on the side of the M6, we were both grateful of the booking, meaning neither of us had to cook.

Being a Sunday in November, we had expected the restaurant to be quiet and for us to be virtually the only ones there.

But arriving at the eatery, similar in size to a large front room, we were surprised and pleased to see two large birthday parties and the rest of the tables virtually full.

And despite how busy it was, we were quickly shown to our seats and handed a menu.

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The décor was tasteful and authentic, and our inward-facing window seats were perfect for a good bit of people watching.

Feeling particularly indecisive, neither of us could choose between pizza or pasta.

So we hedged our bets and picked a garlic bread pizza to share as a starter, and a pasta dish each for our main course.

The mozzarella-covered garlic bread arrived quickly and went down a treat.

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The base was light and crispy with the topping not too overpowering and the cheese adding some extra gooey comfort - a great start at just £3.80.

As a main course, we both chose different pasta dishes as we fancied something homely and warming.

I went for tagliatella al pollo - ribbons of pasta with chunks of chicken in a creamy tomato sauce.

This did what it said on the tin - it was a big plate of scrummy pasta in a rich sauce at a very reasonable £6.70.

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Mr EO chose penne al salmone - smoked salmon and onions with pasta in a creamy tomato sauce.

He said it was “yum” and it was wolfed down without any complaints.

After our main course we were left alone with plenty of time to decide that we had room for afters.

However, as the restaurant became louder and busier still, we felt a little ignored as staff rushed around us.

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Still, we decided to order pudding and didn’t regret it – with a delicious and generous portion of tiramisu arriving on the table, alongside a bowl of sweet honeycomb ice cream.

The restaurant, which also doubles up as a takeaway, was certainly popular with families and couples alike, with a buzz in the air for the whole evening.

And who could argue when the bill, complete with two glasses of wine, came in at 
under £30.

That’ll do.

Marino’s Italian Ristaurante & Pizzeria 156 Watling Street Road Fulwood Preston PR2 8AH

01772 703358

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