Pizza Express Westfield Derby Review
Pizza Express
Westfield, Derby
Reviewed by Victoria Moore
We often visit Derby, but our visit for dinner started an enjoyable and relaxing weekend perfectly. Pizza Express, Westfield Derby was easy to find and has easy access from the centre of Derby as it is within the City Shopping Centre, there is plenty of local parking, and the Westfield car park offers a special evening rate.
Upon arrival at our reservation time we waited momentarily as guests were seated, before being greeted by friendly staff that were welcoming and polite. We were quickly shown to a table, were advised of the specials, given menus to browse and informed that our waitress for the evening would be over shortly.
As our beverage orders were taken (Appletiser and cider) we were asked if we would like water for the table which is a nice addition, and our table’s candle lit. Candles on a table is a tradition I’ve always admired as a distinction between lunch and dinner service.
The specials highlighted on the on-table display, we were given time to peruse the menu, with all dishes available.
The dining area is open plan, with glass room height windows that overlook the second floor of the shopping centre. The kitchen is built into the room so while eating you can see the Italian style dressed chefs cooking up the dishes, and see signs of the dough proving. This style of cooking instils an instant trust in the kitchen cleanliness and cooking methods as there is literally nowhere to hide. The venue was clean and tidy and tables well-spaced.
The menu has a range of appetizing choices and caters to all tastes by including salads alongside the Italian expected pizza and pasta dishes. It was also noted that there is a good selection of vegetarian and gluten free dishes available. We considered having a sharing platter as it was fantastic to see a range of options to share, but we swiftly chose the following:
New – Bruschetta Con Funghi – Chestnut & closed cup mushrooms, béchamel sauce and red onions served on our dough, finished with chopped parsley and balsamic syrup. This nice tasting bruschetta had a warm soft base and just the right amount of the tasty topping, the onions compliment the dish, but perhaps caramelized onions would have taken this starter to the next level.
While I would like to say I headed straight to the ‘Healthy eating’ options, the new Dough Balls ‘Speciale’ had me tempted before I even had a good look at the menu. Our famous dough balls rolled and baked with Gran Moravia cheese, served with garlic butter. Order with an extra dip of either hot n’duja sausage softened with olive oil, or pesto. As with the original dough balls; which you can now buy in selected supermarkets, They are soft with just enough of a bite, and come combined with the garlic butter. As a fan of most things with cheese, I was keen to try this adaptation, and even convinced my non cheese loving partner to try them. We added the pesto dip to these to add an extra twist which is highly recommended, this was zingy and fresh and complimented the cheesy dough bites delectably – in fairness I could have happily ordered more but I’d have had no room for a main.
Our mains arrived swiftly we chose:
New – Toscana Pizza – Crumbled sausage with chilli & fennel, mozzarella and tomato finished with baby mozzarella, Gran Moravia cheese, fresh basil and extra virgin olive oil. A thin based pizza, well cooked with the required bite, heated well throughout and easy to cut with the provided pizza wheel. Good distribution of sausage and mozzarella, and chilli at the right level to add a spicy kick without requiring additional drinks. The pizzas are just the right size to enable you to have additional courses.
And Pollo Pesto – Chicken, mushrooms, red onions, mozzarella, gruyere, parmesan & pesto sauce, Gran Moravia cheese. This wasperfectly cooked spirals of pasta complimented by melt in the mouth chicken, coated in a creamy pesto sauce accentuated by the mushrooms and onion. As a fan of neither onions nor mushrooms one may think this dish isn’t for me, but the flavours they add should not consciously be excluded. The only point to note with this dish is that the inner dish on the plate has come straight from the oven – I know this from a previous visit to Pizza Express, on this occasion unfortunately the waitress who brought our mains didn’t point this out, but I think this was just an oversight and caused no issue as I was already aware that it would be very hot.
To end our evening we chose one hot and one cool option, my partner being a big fan of crumble chose the Special Rhubarb and Apple Crumble, we were advised that this takes a five – six minutes to arrive, which caused us no problem and shows that this is cooked in house, this gave us a chance for our dinners to go down. Rhubarb and apple fruit compote, spiced with ginger and baked with a layer of crème Anglaise and a classic crumble top. Our waitress brought the deserts and did note that this dish would be hot. The presentation was creative, as a home cooked dish transformed into an individual portion. A couple of spoonfuls from around the edges gave a surprising mix of the crumble, fruit and crème anglaise. Unfortunately the centre of the crumble was cold, an effect we were unsure if intended, but which was disappointing. Upon question this was returned to the kitchen.
As he had ordered a Mocca at the same time he chose to not have the desert replaced, or an alternative, but this was offered straight away by the waitress and by (I’m presuming the Manager) who came to check if everything was ok as we enjoyed our final course.
The Mocca was how the best ones are, chocolaty and frothy without an overriding taste of excessive coffee.
As a refreshing desert I chose the sorbet Raspberry Sorbet –
Dairy-free raspberry sorbet. Served with a chocolate straw and fresh mint. Presentation was perfect, and came with a segmented fresh strawberry. The taste of the sorbet was faultless, rich and fruity the perfect end to a meal. It may be that I rarely have seeded fruit sorbets, but I’d never had one with pips in before, which I think may be an unexpected acquired taste, nonetheless combined with a sparkling soft drink it ended my meal nicely.
The food was delicious and presented beautifully and from the moment of arrival we were politely attended to in a timely manner, I could not fault our waitress in the slightest, her level of customer service was commendable.
We visited on a Friday evening, the environment and atmosphere was bustling, but at the right level. The background music wasn’t too quiet or too loud but just right to create a dining experience that allowed you to talk easily without feeling overheard or crowded.
I would definitely recommend this restaurant and we will be returning. Alongside the seasonal specials to ensure an attractive ever changing menu, Pizza Express ensure customer loyalty through their online offers, newsletter offers, and association with Orange Wednesday. They have cornered the market in taste without pomposity Italian dining at a reasonable price.
For the Service, starters and mains the experience was top notch, the only slip was with the deserts, which lead to a knock in my rating.
Rating: 4.5/5
For more information, or to book a table visit www.pizzaexpress.com/visit-a-restaurant.
