A Monday night in the post Valentine lull seemed like a great time for a dinner date at Rosa Twelve, a reasonably recent addition to the Low Fell dining line up. I had previously visited on a lunch time with work colleagues when it first opened and I was impressed with the pizzas, it was time to try something else!
A previous incarnation of the restaurant had been owned by old family friends but Rosa Twelve has firmly cemented itself on the scene with a fresh, modern, clean décor and a wide and exciting menu.
Not only is there a restaurant, you can also have a drink in the ground floor bar area or head downstairs to the Cicchetti bar for small dishes, nibbles and live music.
Taking our place in the large airy upstairs dining room, with our drinks order placed, we had the hard job of choosing our dishes. We were spoiled for choice with the main menu and a set early bird special menu as well.
My dinner date for the evening, Christine, chose the Potato Skins (£4.75) which came with a garlic mayo and a chilli mayo dip. Freshly cooked, a plentiful portion that was big enough to have been shared.
I chose the seared squid with chilli, garlic and coriander (£6.50). Strong flavours on the perfectly cooked squid made this dish a delight. Generous helping of squid strips with a rocket and watercress garnish. The slate plate made it slightly hard to cut the squid and manhandle the salad but we got there in the end. So tasty and I would have liked that as a main sized dish!
Sticking with something safe and simple, I went for Bolognese with linguine (£7.25 /£5.50 HH). Rich winey sauce chock full with mince, the Bolognese was everything it should be, it did benefit from extra seasoning but that’s just personal taste. Again, served with an super generous portion of linguine, this was above and beyond value for money.
Christine chose Penne Carbonara (£7.25 / £5.50 HH). A mountain of penne was served smothered in Carbonara sauce with lardons. The creamy sauce and large amount of pasta meant only half of the dish was tackled but you can’t complain that you don’t get enough.
For dessert, I could order only one thing – the Beckleberry’s Sour Cherry and Amaretto sorbet (£3.95) I have had this on a previous visit and it was moreish. I’m not going to lie, it was the main reason I suggested returning! Oh it is delicious and if you ever get the chance to try it, you must!
The Banoffee Pie (£4.95) was also ordered along with a Latte (£1.95). I’m not a fan of Banoffee so that meant Christine didn’t have to share! Beautifully presented and the verdict was outstanding!
Service throughout the meal was a pleasure. We were never rushed and both our servers were chatty and amiable which made the whole experience a relaxing visit.
We are already planning to return to visit Cicchetti for nibbles and cocktails at Rosa Twelve.