Having previously been a customer of the smaller and more intimate Mazzo I am always worried when someone grows in popularity and moves into larger premises in case it loses that small restaurant and personal touch. I did not have to worry where Mazzo was concerned. From the minute you walk in it feels inviting and cosy. It has been designed in such a way that it doesn't feel like a vast open space that kills any sense of intimacy. Instead, there are so many different areas in the place to discover. From the glass-fronted area right at the front of the restaurant, the staircase to the toilets and function room, all the way to the back where there is a table that can be used as a private dining space. This comes complete with a voile curtain that can be pulled across to give an element of privacy whilst still being able to see into the restaurant and feel involved in the atmosphere of the place. You could eat there every night of the week and have a table with a completely different view and feel.
I pinched some of the pics of their website as I was too busy admiring the place when I walked in to remember to take pics. Plus it was hella busy (on a Thursday night) and I didn't want to be "that guy" taking pics of the room while everyone was eating lol.
The lighting was excellent, as it didn't feel vast and over-lit and had nice soft lighting. We were shown straight to our table and had the one in the corner with the option for a privacy curtain, which we didn't use, as none of us are famous or on the run from an ex etc lol.
Drinks were served straight away and they even had a 0% gin for me so I didn't feel I was on boring coke for the night. There was a larger selection of wines and fizz to suit most tastes and budgets. My only criticism would be that rose drinkers didn't have a choice of at least two options here was only the one Rose. But maybe it's not as popular as other wines. I only noticed because the girls at our table drank Rose and mentioned it.
There was a nice selection of cocktails and (I only noticed when I got home and looked online), you could even have any of them as mocktails, which is great. Often at place they have one mocktail as an option. this would help you feel part of the party if everyone was having cocktails and you weren't drinking. Good Shout!
Just a few of the ones available pictured below.
Meriton the owner (I think) made a point of coming over to our table and welcoming us and it still felt like it had the same personal touch that the smaller venue had.
The menu had a large selection and they also had a special menu, which I like, especially if it's somewhere you go often as you don't get bored of the menu (I intend to visit regularly).
It was a Thursday night and the place was packed and had a nice buzz about it. There was plenty of staff though and we didn't have to wait long periods between courses or to get extra drinks. Our waiter was really friendly and attentive and we were never left wanting drinks when he saw they were getting low he would politely check if we needed more.
For my starter I had the Aspargi from the specials menu. It was the perfect starter as it wasn't too filling so that you couldn't enjoy your main course.
The egg was poached perfectly and the asparagus was grilled so it still had a nice bite and seasoned perfectly. The hollandaise sauce was spot on and it was a great start to a delicious meal.
Everyone enjoyed their starters and there were clean plates all round going back to the kitchen. There wasn't a long wait until our main course, just enough time to chat and enjoy a drink.
In the past when I had been to the other Mazzo I had always gone for the chicken in mushroom sauce just because I had enjoyed it that much and didn't want to risk trying something else in case it wasn't as nice. Someone else had ordered the fillet steak in marsala sauce, so I decided to opt for that for a change.
WOW! The fillet steak was cooked perfectly but the star of the show has to be the sauce! It was thick, rich, sticky and sweet and was the perfect balance for the pate on top. The vegetables were cooked just as you would hope, still a crunch to them and the potatoes were browned and the ideal serving for one per person. I much prefer individual portions of veg in case you are with someone with a big appetite who takes all the spuds lol. Plus you don't have to feel awkward eating them all and wanting to take more from the shared bowl in case everyone else wants more. If I'd of had bread I would have mopped up all that sauce as it was like mahogany nectar.
A few of us fancied a dessert but couldn't really face one each, so I asked Meriton for my favorite thing, an assiette of desserts for us to share. He brought us two long slates with small portions of different desserts so you could have a nice mouthful of each. They included Cheesecake bites, profiteroles, and tiramisu in lovely little espresso cups. I always asked for an assiette when I went to the old place, so I think he knew what was coming when he asked if we wanted any desserts. I think everywhere that serves desserts should have it on the menu as an option. Most people can't eat a full dessert but just want a bit of something sweet to finish off. These are perfect to share and it's a win/win. you get to sample a few different options (so you know what you might fancy next time) and the restaurant gets to sell more desserts but also use whichever they have a lot of.
Sadly I was so busy making sure I tried everything and didn't get out-spooned by Tom that I forget to get a pic before it was demolished. Shucks, that's another reason I have to go back now to get better pics. All in the name of research obviously :-)
My bill (Tom insisted on making sure we only paid for what we had) was £43 so I paid £50 to include tip. Well worth every penny and a great treat for anyone whole likes their food. If you want to impress friends, family, or a loved one, get yourself BOOKED before word gets out and you can't get a table ;-)
