REVIEW: Bellini, Hartley Wintney (From Basingstoke Gazette)

REVIEW: Bellini, Hartley Wintney

1:00am Monday 24th October 2011 in Taste and Tell By John Boyman

CONSIDERING that it is not the biggest of villages, there are plenty of eateries for the people of Hartley Wintney to choose between when planning an evening out.

The pressure is on restaurants to ensure repeat business and Bellini certainly got off to a good start when my wife and I visited.

The waiter who greeted us was very welcoming, while the decor was clean and bright, with interesting pictures of Italian cities giving an authentic feel that was added to by the music playing in the background.

The warm welcome continued when we took our seats, with complimentary olives and bread and oil acting as tasty entrees.

Bellini continued to impress when our first courses came. I plumped for mozzarella wrapped in breadcrumbs, deep fried and served with a tomato and chilli sauce at £6.25 – and it was very impressive, with delicious contrasts in taste and texture.

My wife also enjoyed her minestrone soup but after Bellini had set such high standards, we were more than a little disappointed by our main courses.

I chose rib-eye steak in a red wine and mushroom sauce for £13.95, for which vegetables were extra. Having asked for it to be cooked rare, the steak emerged from the kitchen closer to well done, resulting in a real workout for my jaw muscles.

In addition, the red wine sauce was overpowering and the side order of vegetables contained roasted potatoes that were badly overcooked, making them taste like a frozen product.

My wife was similarly unimpressed by her chicken dish, a somewhat bland tomato sauce the main issue.

I was also underwhelmed by my desert of tiramisu at £4.25, which was a bit dry, though my wife was a big fan of the lemon cheesecake she chose, despite the fact that it was not properly set.

After a great start, we went away feeling sad that the standard of the starters had not been upheld through the rest of the meal.

We mentioned that we had been disappointed with the potatoes to the waiter and he duly took the price of both portions off the £50-ish bill but to compete in such a congested market, Bellini needs to up its game.

Bellini Ristorante, 31 High Street, Hartley Wintney, 01252 848700

bellini-ristorante.com