STEPHEN WEBB finds a familiar name in Cirencester... but not a wood-fired pizza in sight

Fratello’s 29 Sheep Street, Cirencester GL7 1QW

Tel: 01285 642777

THE nights are drawing in, the temperature is dropping – it’s the time of year for tucking in to a meaty, spicy stew. But a stew was one of the last things I expected to eat on this evening out.

We came across Fratello’s in Cirencester almost by chance, attracted by the welcoming glow from its windows as we drove by. Plus, the name is familiar – its sister restaurant in Swindon town centre is popular and well-known for its heavily promoted woodburning stove and selection of pizzas.

But at the Cirencester Fratello’s, there is no sight or mention of a woodburning stove. And pizzas are conspicuous by their absence – to the restaurant’s credit, I should add.

This is upmarket Italian dining, reflected in the quality of dishes on offer. And in the price.

We could tell that Fratello’s takes great pride in the quality and presentation of its food when our starter arrived – it can only be described as a culinary sculpture.

From a mouthwatering selection, we decided to share a fantasia di assaggi (£16.95), which sounds as if it should be a ballet or a Puccini opera. It was in fact a large board covered with a dazzling array of meats, cheeses, olives and other goodies, with breadsticks and crisp flat breads standing to attention in the centre. It looked fabulous and my wife and I were reluctant to dismantle something that clearly someone had taken a great deal of time and thought to create.

But come on... this is a restaurant, not an art gallery. So with forks in hand, we picked at the tasty morsels. And it did taste as good as it looked, with such a variety of flavours making this a perfect appetiser.

And so onto that stew. The menu offered all sorts of exotic-sounding Italian dishes – some familiar, most I hadn’t come across before, which lent a degree of excitement to making a decision.

I eventually chose spezzatino di manzo (£19.95), a peppered beef stew cooked in a rich Chianti wine and tomato sauce, served with truffle mashed potato and asparagus wrapped in Parma ham.

This dish had the warming, satisfying qualities of a traditional stew but was given a pep by the slight spiciness of the meat which, despite the richness of the sauce, kept its flavour. The mash was exceptional and had a deep, earthy flavour, again complemented by that sauce as it soaked in.

Across the table, my wife had filetto di maiale al marsala (£19.95), which was a pork tenderloin cooked in a Marsala sauce with pine nuts and sultanas. It also came with mashed potato.

This went down very well too, with the words “rich”, “delicious”, “sort of marzipanny”, “nice plump sultanas” and “mmmm” being uttered between forkfuls.

We were full after that lot and agreed to look at the dessert menu out of politeness more than anything else. But when that menu includes something called pere cotte al chianti con gelato al pistachio (£6.95)... well, it was like being offered a snog by Sophia Loren – how could a man resist?

So I tucked into my poached pears cooked in Chianti wine, served with caramelised Chianti sauce and pistachio ice cream, and it was as dreamy as its name suggested.

With a glass of wine each and a couple of coffees, the bill came to around £80, which to me makes Fratello’s in Cirencester a night out for special occasions.

But this restaurant is special – it is cleanly and tastefully decorated, the staff are friendly and attentive, and the food is fabulous. You get what you pay for.

If you fancy a pizza or good old fashioned spag bol, there are eateries around the corner from Fratello’s that will happily oblige for a price to suit most pockets.

At Fratello’s you will pay more for a slice of indulgent Italian heaven.