It was the perfect night out. My partner and I had
heard good things about an Italian restaurant in
Sheepy Parva, and made a special journey out there
to find out for ourselves.

It is not uncommon for restaurants not to live up to
their reputation, but that is definitely not the case
here. Everything we heard about San Giovanni is
true - it is quite simply superb.

This was true of everything from the setting with its
inspiring vistas to the internal decor which helps to
both create and enhance an atmosphere conducive
to a delightful dining experience, and from the
dedicated, attentive staff to the cherry on the cake,
the cuisine.

The food is beautifully presented and a delight for the
tastebuds. The choice is immense and deciding what
to have was a task in itself - albeit the most pleasant
of tasks.

After much thought I opted for a starter of Gamberoni
e capesante - pan fried prawns and scallops with a
light thermidor sauce. The infusion of tastes explode
in the mouth, enhanced by the best thermidor sauce I
have had the pleasure to sample.

"My tastebuds did virtual
cartwheels with each bite"

So good was the starter, I had serious doubts over
whether the main course could match it. But I need not
have concerned myself. I had chosen Bistecca Diana,
a pan fried sirloin steak with onions, mushrooms,
cream and brandy sauce, served with sauté potatoes,
bacon, onion and rosemary.

My tastebuds did virtual cartwheels with each bite.
Sirloin steak can be ruined by over cooking, but here
was the perfect way to present it - it fairly melted
in the mouth. Each component of this meal added
a layer to the overall composition, creating a show
stopping performance. If there hadn't been the
prospect of dessert I would have tracked down the
chef and kissed him!

The choice of dessert was difficult as just about
everything on offer appealed. In the end I opted for
Trancio sacher, a Viennese chocolate sponge cake

filled with chocolate cream. Days later I close my
eyes, relieve the taste experience and want to head
over the Sheepy Parva again. Yes, it was literally that
good.

My partner thankfully enjoyed a similar experience.
As a non-meat eater I was concerned at first that
the choice might be rather limited - but it was not
the case. Whilst not as expansive as the main menu
offerings for meat eaters, there was still a wide and
worthy selection.

The starter was a Calamari Fritti, baby calamari
dusted with flour, deep fried, served with mixed
leaves and tartar sauce. It was cooked to perfection
and my partner enthused throughout, declaring it
was the best calamari ever.

The main course was similarly well received. It was
Linguine scampi e gamberoni, a linguine pasta with
langoustine, king prawns, garlic, chilli, tomato, and
white wine sauce, served alongside mixed vegetables
and rocket salad. It was rich, savoury and quite
simply delicious.

For dessert my partner followed the same route as I
and was equally as enthusiastic.

Finishing off with coffee, we agreed wholeheartedly
that this was an evening to remember.

San Giovanni is a gem tucked away in
the little idyll of Sheepy Parva. Would we
recommend it to you? Do you really have
to ask? For the record, we say an emphatic
YES!

San Giovanni is at Mill Lane, Sheep Parva, CV9 3RL.
Tel 01827 881000. www.sangiovanni.co.uk

San Giovanni can cater for vegetarian needs and
any special dietary requirement - simply ring ahead
with your details and the chefs will accommodate
reasonable requests.
Whilst there is not a specific children's menu, the team
can adapt the main menu to cater for youngsters.
There is a superb a la carte option in addition to
the exquisite offerings on the menu. And Sunday
lunch should not be missed either, accommodating
traditional English and delightful Italian style cuisine.
San Giovanni also stocks a large selection of wines to
add that final touch to a quality dining experience.