Amarone Review

This review previously appeared on Edinburgh Spotlight.

Seeing Scotland bathed in sunshine is rare. When this happens, I always feel overcome by the urge to spend every waking moment enjoying it. Part of this experience always involves eating out at any establishment with outdoor seating. We couldn’t believe our luck when passing Amarone on George Street to find a couple leaving their table, just in time for us to swoop in, and take up residence for the evening.

Determined to make the most of our prime location, I started with a Campari and soda (£3.25), which I sipped slowly with a bowl of olives to keep me company (£2.45). The mixture of green and black olives were delicious, with stones still intact, indicating that they were at least more premium than the ready pitted variety. We moved onto devour Rigatoni with crumbled sausage and ricotta (£9.95) and Pennette with tomatoes and basil (£8.95). My dish featured robustly flavoured Italian sausage with a sauce that was lightly flavoured with fennel and ricotta, a delicious and filling meal, with pasta that was cooked perfectly. My dining partner’s meal was equally satisfying, with a mere hint of basil, rather than a more overbearing flavour. To quench our thirst, I enjoyed a large glass of Pinot Grigio (£5.45), whilst my dining partner opted for a can of Aranciata (£2.25).

Mixed Olives

Rigatoni with Italian sausage

Pennette with tomatoes and basil

My dining partner’s appetite regularly outdoes mine, and so he devoured a semifreddo cioccolato (£5.75), a rich chocolate based pudding, which resembled an ice cream that hasn’t fully set. I ended my meal with a glass of dessert wine (Muscato £3.45) and an espresso (£1.90).

Semifreddo Cioccolatto

Not only were we impressed by the quality of the food at Amarone, but also the service was excellent. We felt well looked after and valued throughout our dining experience, and not only will I be recommending Amarone to family and friends, I can say without hesitation that I will be eating there again soon.