Amalia Italian Restaurant
2 Campbell Square,
Liverpool, Merseyside L1 5FB
Amalia has been on the lips of every Liverpool local since their opening six years ago. With numerous awards behind them such as the Italian Awards and Liverpool Lifestyle Awards, it’s in plain sight and incredibly obvious they’re a top of their game with regular customers coming in to dine the Italian way.
Located in the heart of Liverpool situated off Duke Street you’ll find warming hues to reveal Amalia; contemporary Italian dining in a setting that screams good home cooked Italian food. The entire restaurant was groups of people from all age ranges looking for a night of hearty food and hospitality.
With the service alone being c’est magnifique, and a menu that would make any drool. We pondered why on earth it took it this long for us to book back in after a beautiful date night a few years back.
We started off with a bowl of mussels to share, some of the best I’d ever tried. They were plunged into a beautifully creamy white wine sauce, that was made to have some fresh crusty bread accompany it to mop up all the delicious sauce.
Their pizzas have been awarded the best in England three years in a row, so if there’s one thing you need to go there for – the pizza. If you dare to dream, there’s an Amalia Calzone Challenge where if you so manage to finish the whole pizza you get it for free and presented with one of Amalia’s cunning surprised. Amongst my friends, I unfortunately know no one who have managed to complete it, so the world is still wanting to know what happens when you’re down to the final crumbs.
I opted for Pizza Julietta; Tomato and mozzarella base with mushroom, courgette, goats cheese and sweet potato chips on top. Although not being vegetarian, I found a photo of their famous pizza that is served with chips on top and had to give it a while. It was as fresh as they come, with massive portion sizes – enough to take home for seconds if you don’t manage to finish it. It became extremely apparent why they’re renowned for their pizza.
Paddy alternatively vouched for Pizza Bolognese – clever, in which fusing two of the best Italian dishes in a harmonious genius idea. This included mixed pork and beef mince meat with cheese, fresh chilli, basil and rosemary. A dish I intend to head back to try out, as it looked truly scrumptious.
Amalia cater to all elements of the classic Italian menu, so it’s no secret why they’re the best Italian restaurant in Liverpool City Centre. On their menu, you’ll find freshly made antipasti like Calamari, Gamberoni, and Antipasti Misto (which I highly recommend trying over a Montepulciano D’Abruzzo), and moving onto their classic pasta dishes such as spaghetti bolognese, tagliatelle and tortellini dishes. But do ponder over the grilled dishes also, as you’ll find some exciting surprises such as the Costolette Di Maiale Con Barbecue; their famous slow cooked pork ribs in a delicious orange and barbeque sauce.
Finally, is it really an authentic Italian experience, if one doesn’t save some room for dessert? Serving up a fresh new flavour cheesecake of the day, as well as tiramisu for all coffee lovers, and not to forget mentioning pannacotta coppa. However we’re hopeless romantics who love nothing more than sharing gelati between us after a super fulfilling pizza. Picking out Coppa Baileys; vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce, a shot of Baileys liqueur, espresso coffee and topped with cream. Both visually enticing, as much as flavoursome and felt like an entire meals worth of coffee and cream.
Now we’re getting ridiculously close to Christmas, it’s worth considering their Christmas menu for an extremely affordable £17.95 for their lunch menu (12-5pm) compiling of two courses, and a complimentary glass of prosecco. Or their dinner menu (5pm-11pm) with a choice of three courses with a glass of bubbly for £24.95. You’ll find all the best of their menu from pasta, pizza, meat and fish to their best in-house desserts. So save yourself the cooking and dine out in one of the best restaurants in Liverpool for the full authentic Italian experience without having to board a plane!
For more information check out the Amalia website
Words + Pictures by Stephi LaReine
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