Vicolo Restaurant and Bar Ballito gets nod of approval from Ballito Foodie

It has been over a year since I have done a restaurant review and boy has the landscape changed here on the North Coast.

So for my first review, I visited Vicolo which is located at The Wedge next to Zimbali.

Walking through the door my first thought was that it felt like I was on a holiday to Italy.

The venue is stunning with great attention to detail, from the tiled walls, to the quaint outside seating area and the iconic red Vespa.

The staff too were welcoming and pleasant.

We opted for the Tapas menu as I am a big fan of selection. I would rather have lots of small dishes than a standard main and dessert.

Let’s start at the bottom and work our way up. First was the beef Carpaccio.

There was nothing wrong with this dish but neither did it stand out. Still the fillet was perfectly sliced and tender.

I just felt it could have used something to lift it, even a few capers on the plate would have elevated it.

Next was the Arancini (deep fried risotto balls).

This is not a dish I am very familiar with so I cannot say if they were technically correct, but from my view they were well executed, though they could have had more Gorgonzola for extra punch.

The seafood brochette was exactly what I was hoping for. The seafood was front and centre on flavour though the bread could have been a touch more toasted, but besides that they were divine.

The next two dishes were tied for first place and I cannot pick a favourite. First up was the pork belly.

I just loved everything about this dish from the old school BBQ sauce that had a smokiness without being too sweet (very well balanced).

The pork belly was super tender without being over cooked and dry.

The crackling finished off the plate. I love texture in food and this dish had all the textures I love – crunch, fattiness and tenderness.

The brie was to die for too. If you are a fan of cheese you have to try this – the brie was baked to perfection, slightly melted but still holding its form. The bread sticks were divine and the berries and nuts are just a classic pairing that cannot be faulted. A job very well done.

For dessert we had the baked cheesecake and a scoop of tiramisu gelato. I am not sure if choosing the tiramisu flavour was the right call as it was a weird combination, but still it was enjoyable.

So in a nutshell: would I go back? Most definitely yes! Are they expensive? I don’t think they are outrageous. All in all a great way to start my return as the @ballito_foodie.

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