Il Divo in Diss? Simply Divine!

We came across Il Divo in the late afternoon as we were wandering around Diss following a visit to ‘Monsters', the children's soft play area. Our two girls (aged 5&4) were feeling peckish after their exertions and we hardly felt like cooking after getting home to Bury St Edmunds. We were greeted and welcomed into the restaurant and we chose our meal as we sipped drinks on comfortable sofas in the bar area. As well as the à la carte options, there was a good selection of ‘specials'. To start, we chose olives, (proper!) garlic bread and a prawn cocktail – but very different from the usual, with a delicately flavoured dressing infused with sun-dried tomatoes. For mains, the girls chose and created their own pizzas, sensibly child-sized portions. My wife ordered a creamy pesto pasta that she said was ‘to die for'. I had the Americano pizza, which was just the right level of ‘heat', the best pizza I have eaten outside Italy – and the proprietors and chefs are not Italian!! The girls finished with brownies and ice cream, while the grown-ups rounded off with a latte and an espresso. We were impressed. Everything was freshly prepared and well-presented; service was friendly and prompt, but unhurried; the atmosphere and décor are relaxed and relaxing; the restaurant is child-friendly with colouring sheets and pens readily available. And our bill? Two adults and two children, three courses and drinks, all for well under £60. I have never written a restaurant review before, but I just feel inspired to put finger to keyboard by this unexpected delight. Il Divo is well worth going out of your way to visit and we'll definitely go back again. Eat your heart out Pizza Express….

Robin Sharp - 06/10/2011 | report this review