La Strega - Brighton and Hove

Initially hesitant from the exterior, our doubts were confirmed upon entering the restaurant. The presence of a rowdy and aggressive group nearby only added to our disappointment. We ordered garlic bread as a starter, which came in large portions - sharing one between two was more than enough. Although the pizzas were decent, I have had better quality at more authentic Italian establishments.

Service: Although the waiter was obviously inexperienced (probably new), I can't fault their service. They were prompt and polite. Atmosphere: The place was quaint and quiet, probably due to being off the main streets. Food: This is where La Strega shines! We (my family) had the bolognese pizza, carbonara and a custom made tomato, mushroom and pasta dish. All three were truly amazing. The pizzas were wonderfully crispy and incredibly tasty, while the pasta dishes had smooth sauces with brilliant taste. The portion sizes were great too! Would definitely recommend La Strega.

Ate here whilst on a business trip, did not read any reviews before visiting was just hungry and it was what we fancied. Glad we went in, had the best gnocchi I've ever eaten (Gorgonzola) cheap and not expecting much but will be back next week when next here!

We accidentally ended up in this restaurant. We ordered drinks, but the rose wine and lemonade were served warm and cloudy. My coke never arrived. I noticed a woman struggling to cut her pizza and wondered why it was so difficult. I was concerned when I saw that the restaurant did not display its Food Hygiene score card. After using their dirty toilets, we decided to cancel our order. I asked the waiter about the missing certificate and he claimed he was new. Despite this, I made sure to loudly express my concerns to the remaining diners. We decided to go to a nearby high-quality Italian restaurant instead. Two other customers also ended up canceling their orders and followed us to the new restaurant. We exchanged knowing looks and were relieved to have dodged a potentially bad dining experience.

****. Should of looked just up the road for a better Italian. This certainly wasn 't very good. Tried to order calamari but the cooker was broken. Tried to order the White Bait but that cooker was broken too. I disorder a pizza which was ok . They did use tinned toms. Not good. Ordered salad but had to ask for oil and balsamic but got Sarsons vinegar instead. The wine ok though. Tried to pay on scarf, but guess what, yep, the machine was broken so had to nip out to a cash point. All in all, 2 stars is generous.