Sazio Italian Restaurant

My photos above show the candle on the dessert for the birthday party at the next table. Click on the smaller picture to see the table setting which will greet you. The photo on the left shows me in another favourite Italian restaurant, the old Fellini - I recommend the new Fellini in Hatch End.Back to Sazio in Harrow. I chose Sazio because we wanted to try another Italian restaurant out of our area for a change. Many restaurants are closed Sunday night but they were open. Best of all we had loved their other branch, Zaza, in Rickmansworth.Sazio's decor and atmosphere gave a delightful first impression which immediately put me in a good mood. A low candle glowed on each table. Electric lights across the ceiling were in trendy diagonal lines. Diagonally-laid white napkins showed elegance and care by whoever had set up the place as well as those left in charge. The pristine white napkins contrasted with dark polished wood tables. Large wine glasses looked equally elegant and clean. Clean? Surely you'd expect glasses to be clean? (Yes, but last week at an American style grill restaurant the outsides of glasses were sticky! And menus were covered with gooey stains! And floors were dirty!) First impression was good - everything bright, modern, new and jolly. The size of the restaurant was perfect. Not too small, yet not too big. Reassuringly smart and clean.The noise level was just right. We could not hear others' conversations. Yet no thumping music.Everybody looked joyful and happy. Diners were kissing the female waitresses. I wondered whether they were friends or regulars.StartersOur server knew that the soup of the day was carrot and coriander. The soup tasted agreeably herby. After it cooled, it seemed a bit sour, as if they'd used lemon - or worse. The soup was tepid at the top and hot at the base. We concluded they must have used a microwave. We discussed this amongst ourselves. One diner commented: 'It's hard to tell the temperature when you cook in a microwave. If soup's cooked in a tureen you don't have that problem. You need to stir the soup.' I added, 'When you use a microwave, you can't tell by feeling the outside of the bowl. You have to stir it and take a sip.' The soup was accompanied by bread which had gone hard. I liked the wrapped butter pat. If I'd thought to dunk the bread in the soup, the texture would have been right. The colourful smoked salmon starter was three small portions of pink salmon on an elegant oblong plate. Each piece of salmon was draped over an oval of rubbery white cheese on a slice of big red tomato. The smoked salmon was top quality, like gravad lax. We prefer a small piece of thick, tasty, good quality salmon to a huge plateful of thin anemic looking tasteless but over-salted salmon.MAIN COURSESThe calves' liver was really soft, The spaghetti had nice large lumps of good quality minced steak. The chicken was passable. The saute potatoes looked like halved small new potatoes in their skins, possibly fried in butter rather than the usual cubes of peeled and pre-boiled potato crisped in hot oil. Maybe the softer saute potatoes here are healthier than the crispy sort.DRINKSTap water was served by the glass with a slice of lemon. The glass of red wine was good. The rose was not sweet enough for granny. Good Lavazza espresso coffee came with the teeny biscuit which is usual with Lavazza coffee but still a pleasant surprise. The small jug of milk had pleasing froth on top. I was even more impressed by the rapid appearance of a bowl of wrapped sugars including brown sugar.DESSERTSDesserts included profiteroles and cheesecake.BIRTHDAY DESSERTSA dessert concealed behind a menu for a surprise, with a candle, was brought up and presented to a birthday group - with an attempt at singing Happy Birthday To You. You can't get much rousing effect from two members of staff. I've seen a Mexican restaurant bring up ten members of staff in funny hats bellowing out HAPPY BIRTHDAY.And heard the Japanese give an exhuberant chorus. I've seen other restaurants dim the light and play a recording of a crowd singing Happy Birthday which makes the whole restaurant join in the singing. But it was a good try. The birthday group looked very satisfied. They were delighted that we wished them happy birthday and photographed their dessert - which set them photographing it. When they left they smiled at us and said goodbye and we wished them happy birthday again, so the birthday dessert created lots of goodwill.PricesYou can eat here cheaply if you are careful what you order. Sunday to Thursday most hours they have a two course or three course set menu, though the main courses are mainly pizza or pasta. Drinks by the glass seemed expensive. Other restaurants offer a cheaper smaller glass of wine. Why do they insist on large glasses, a third of a bottle, which is too much for drivers, women of small stature, dieters and anybody trying to limit alcohol for health reasons? Our bill for three people, having two starters, three main courses, without desserts, two glasses of wine, and three coffees, was sixty something pounds. We added ten per cent for service, bringing the bill to about £67.Decor and comfortModern and lively, clean-looking, including floors, very good for this run down litter-strewn end of what we nicknamed 'arrow-on-the-ill'. Worthy of the smarter area of Harrow on the Hill actually up on the top of the Hill by the world famous, illustrious and expensive historic Harrow school. Heavy wooden tables. Wall tables have banquettes which I like.Glass screen to street creates an airy open feel whilst protecting from draughts and giving privacy.Very steep stairs up to toilets, with rail on the right, none on the left. Granny did not dare attempt the stairs but had to wait until we got home. Spacious and clean ladies toilet.ServiceExcellent. Obliging and knowledgeable. Two bright cheerful girls (one from Poland), knew the daily special, welcomed us as we arrived and offered us a choice of tables. After each dish was served, they came to ask whether everything was all right. When we left and I looked back towards the bar they were watching and smiled and said goodbye. (Not as good as the Indian restaurants where the manager rushes ahead of you to open the door and bow his head, and say, 'Thank you, SIR!' or 'Thank you, MADAM!' but a lot better than those places which, after you've paid the bill, don't even notice you leave, making you feel like some sort of scuttling cockroach.) LeftoversThey seem to serve takeaway pizzas. I saw somebody collect one. They willingly wrapped up my leftovers in a bag with a handle. Part of the service. It relieves my guilt at spending so much on food which would cost half that price at a supermarket. I'm sure it increases goodwill towards the restaurant by making their food go further providing better value for the customer.Besides it's normal in America, where I used to live, for servers to offer to wrap up half the food 'to go'. It stops me over-eating.If you've read my reviews before you'll know I like to have uneaten food for lunch the next day. I hate to throw food away. Waste not, want not. Recycling and all that. When I go home with my little take away I can re-live my experience once more. And find out whether the food tastes even better a day later. Location & ParkingIt's opposite the Trinity pub which is on the corner.By train go to Harrow on the Hill on the Met line. By car, they told us to park in the public car park next to the former library site, or in the car park behind Iceland opposite. VerdictA very pleasant evening. Would we go back? Definitely. Friendly service, excellent coffee, lots of wines. Some starters and main dishes very good so we'd do even better on a second visit when we know what we like to order. Fun for a birthday. Any day. Looks smart and clean.

A User - 04/06/2008 | report this review