Food review: Rustico in Bury St Edmunds

Released:
2:10 PM April 21, 2022

Our foodstuff reviewer Mark Heath and his wife Liz went for a Friday lunch at the new Rustico Italian restaurant in Bury St Edmunds. Here is what they manufactured of it…

Whichever way you look at it, Italian foods is certainly a person of the finest cuisines on the planet.

And, whenever something is well known, that space tends to be dominated by the substantial chains – you can get mass-developed, uninspired, perform-it-safe pizza and pasta all about the country.

Rustico restaurant in Bury St Edmunds
– Credit history: Mark Heath

But high-quality unbiased Italian eateries are as uncommon as rocking horse poo. In Bury, for instance, the previous 1 I can keep in mind was the great La Vita Bella, way back again in the early to mid-noughties.

Until eventually now. Michele Pagliuca and chef Silene Ziglioli opened Rustico in a grade II-detailed creating on Risbygate Street back in February, and it’s been creating waves on the area foodie scene at any time given that.

As the sort of folks who will walk miles out of the vacationer parts to check out and locate the locations locals eat when on getaway, authentic independent restaurants are what make us tick – and as a result we headed along ourselves to see what all the fuss is about. On your behalf, of class.

Michele and chef Marian at Rustico in Bury St Edmunds
– Credit score: CHARLOTTE BOND

Initially matters 1st. Rustico is unbelievably well-known. We tried out at first to book on a Friday night a 7 days in progress, but there was no place at the inn. If you want to go, strategy forward – and reserve.

2nd matters 1st. It is a gorgeous making – 17th century, uncovered wood beams, pretty the location for a restaurant. 

The eating place by itself is rather small, but there are programs to open up up the higher ground in owing program. Which, judging by how preferred it was when we frequented, will be no problem to fill.

We ended up seated by the helpful and smiling Michele – who returned promptly to rectify our slight desk wobble and deliver our pints of Peroni – and settled in to peruse the menu.

Our starters at Rustico – remaining, frittura di mare, and the antipasto di salami
– Credit history: Liz Heath

It can be reassuringly modest and very simple – six or so antipasti choices, the similar of pasta and risotto, some pretty-sounding pizzas, furthermore a beef, pork and fish ‘secondi’.

It was immediately obvious that these were authentic Italian dishes, and we were fired up to purchase up an antipasto di salami and frittura di mare as our shared starters.

We opted for the little selection for both, but you can go substantial if you fancy them as mains.

The antipasto di salami at Rustico
– Credit score: Mark Heath

Let us start with the healed meats board. It seemed terrific – a number of cuts and colors of meat, a pair of slices of crusty bread, plus some cheese, olives, a pickled onion, artichoke and chutney.

It ate properly too. For me the highlights were being the parmesan cheese chunks, the tasty peppery salami and the handmade tomato chutney, all smoky and rich – as I informed Michele, if they offered that for sale in jars, I’m having two, please.

The fish platter was great too. Flippantly-battered and splendidly refreshing sea bass, squid, whitebait and prawn, served with garlic and samphire mayo.

Calamari can so often go wrong, of course, and you conclude up chewing battered rubber – but this was spot on, tender and moreish. As was the entire lot to be honest, with the seabass our standout. The batter could potentially have been crispier, but that’s a minimal element genuinely.

The carbonara at Rustico in Bury St Edmunds
– Credit score: Mark Heath

On to the mains then, and it was pasta – selfmade at Rustico – for us both equally. Liz went for the pappardelle with oxtail ragu, while I requested the carbonara.

No anglicised product-laden carbonara listed here, as Michele produced confident I was informed when ordering – this was just eggs, cheese and guanciale.

And it was bloody delizioso – the loaded sauce coating the spaghetti extensively, whilst the crunchy, salty guanciale additional texture and flavour. It was fantastic, but really prosperous – just a warning if you’re not accustomed to a classic-design and style carbonara.

Liz’s oxtail dish was great far too – that home made pasta cooked with just the ideal amount of bite, and a goodly amount of deeply meaty oxtail maintaining it corporation on the fork.

The pappardelle with oxtail ragu at Rustico
– Credit history: Liz Heath

Two really large programs down then, and bellies full, we bravely asked for the dessert menu.

Again, six dishes on provide, all genuine, all freshly designed at Rustico.

We resolved to share a tiramisu, which I teamed with a double espresso. When (type of) in Rome…

In fact, the encouraging was so generous that it could have been designed for sharing. This was a cracking tiramisu while – and I have experienced a few.

The tiramisu at Rustico
– Credit history: Liz Heath

Gentle, tender sponge, moist and packed with that iconic espresso flavour. A wonderful end to a fantastic food.

Our monthly bill came to just around £60, which I’d argue is superb benefit for the sizing and excellent of the dishes we’d devoured.

There was just one pleasant final contact also, as Michele – a heat and natural host – appeared brandishing a bottle of limoncello and poured us a splash to ship us on our way.

We’ll undoubtedly be back again. All our dishes were simple but remarkable, brimming with enthusiasm and flavour – just as terrific Italian foods should really be.

Inside Rustico, Bury St Edmunds
– Credit history: CHARLOTTE BOND