REVIEW : La Favorita, Edinburgh
La Favorita in Edinburgh has transformed its restaurant in Leith showcasing a stylish, modern design.
The new-look restaurant on Leith Walk builds on the original vision of the Vittoria Group Chairman, Tony Crolla, stemming from his simple ethos – to bring family and friends together over authentic Italian pizza and good times through shared passions – food, drink and music.
The restaurant now has a completely different feel to it, as a result of its extensive makeover. A brand new kitchen and marble bar have been added and the venue has been re-designed to give it a lighter and more welcoming feel to diners.
The use of fresh vibrant exciting colours have greatly enhanced its overall freshness as well as a dramatic change to the exterior with lovely heritage facade in teal with an abundance of new greenery and feature lighting.
Specially commissioned features of Limoncello, Prosecco and Olive oil murals frame the passageway to the restaurant party room which has had a fresh feature added of summer shutters.
La Favorita's new menu removed the dishes you can find in most Italian restaurants and replaced them with pasta dishes that balance authentic flavours with modern and distinctive ingredients. Classic, rustic Italian dishes with a creative flair have been added to appeal to the trends of a growing vegetarian, vegan and health conscious consumer.
The award winning pizza menu has also been simplified and allows customers to 'build their own' with a varied choice of toppings as well as the introduction of a new multi-grain and seed pizza base that is both healthy and tasty.
LA FAVORITA REVIEW
La Favorita on Leith Walk opened in 2005 and quickly became famous for authentic, freshly made pizza cooked in log-fired ovens, the way Italians believe pizza should be served. With dozens of quality awards to their name – including a Tripadvisor certificate of excellence and multiple AA rosettes – they offer the best pizza you can possibly find in Scotland.
La Favoria's pizzas are topped with mouth-watering ingredients and cooked in revolving 300C log-fired Italian ovens to give that special crispness and unmistakable smoky flavour. While the restaurant brands authentic thin crust Italian pizzas are the highlight and everyone’s favourite, La Favorita now offers so much more – delicious gourmet Italian pastas are made to order, with a great choice of antipasti starters, fresh salads and indulgent desserts.
We went along to the grand opening and indulged in some authenic Italian dishes now on their menu.
PORCHETTA - Confit pork belly carpaccio in duck fat drizzled with buttery apple puree and grated pecorino.
I really didn’t know what to expect with this dish and was certainly taken aback when it arrived. It smelt lush though and I have to say that the apple puree really enhanced the super finely sliced pork. The duck fat was smooth and creamy and coated your tongue in yumminess.
CANNELLINI E FRIARELLI - A dish from Puglia of puree of haricot beans and olive oil with sauteed friarielli and chilli with slices of toasted sourdough.
Friarielli is rapini or broccoli rabe. As you can see its a green leafy veg with a slightly bitter taste. This is sauteed like spinach and laid on a bed of creamy thick haricot puree. This whole dish is extremely earthy and homemade. It tastes like something you would get at your Nonna’s house - something true and homely.
La Favorita is known for their pizzas and they are truly good. The dough is handmade and stretched which you can tell from the irregularities in the shape and form.
PRIMAVERA - Tomato, buffalo mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, parma ham and rocket on a multi-grain base. You can choose your own base from a choice of three - classic, multi-grain or gluten free.
The puddles of melted mozzarella where dotted about the pizza mixed in with the tomato sauce and a decent layer of parma ham added to the saltiness of the pizza. The base was thin in the middle and crunchy with the crust slightly crunchy but soft and chewy on the inside.
CAVOLO VERDE PIZZA - white base pizza with gorgonzola, mozzarella and mascarpone topped with roasted pumpkin and curly kale scattered with roasted pumpkin seeds and drizzled with balsamic vinegar.
Another great pizza base, crunchy and chewy in all the right places. I loved the tang of the gorgonzola but I would ease up on the curly kale - there is a lot here and I feel like I’ve eaten my 2020 quota already!
La Favorita is a staple on Leith Walk delivering consistently good Italian food. The move to a more authentic Italian menu is a brave one, but with food as good as this, they can definitely pull it off.
La Favorita, 325-331 Leith Walk, Edinburgh, EH6 8SA. Tel : 0131 554 2430 www.vittoriagroup.co.uk/lafavorita
My Spoon Award : Silver Spoon 8/10
I was invited by La Favorita to review their menu. Food and drink were complimentary but the views are very much my own.