By Jill Stocks
There’s no shortage of choice on Town Street for the residents of Horsforth when it comes to eateries. No shortage of variety either with restaurants offering Turkish, Thai and Mexican to name a few.
So there’s stiff competition for any restaurant. What can Pranzo offer to make it stand out from the others?
Pranzo in Horsforth is one of the company’s four venues, all based in Yorkshire, and was the third to open. The first venue in Ilkley started life as an Italian lunch bar in 2018, before the second opened in Harrogate, followed by Horsforth, and most recently a new restaurant in York.
The emphasis is very much on homemade Italian food, and this point was emphasised several times by the staff on my visit. Which is reassuring for someone who isn’t keen on a corporate dining or drinking setting. It did mean that a couple of items on the menu were not available on this visit but there were plenty of other options suggested to me by the staff.
The setting itself is nice. The decor is bright and our window table offered us the chance to people watch as folks passed by on their way to their warm spring evenings activities. Seating was comfy and there was seemingly no chance of being cramped into a corner in any part of the restaurant. Spacious and light.
Also, and importantly to this diner, there was a wooden screen from the front door towards the back of the restaurant which meant that there was no draught coming from the front door to distract from enjoying the experience.
The menu offered a decent choice of starters and mains, something to suit most palettes, veggie, vegan, gluten free and dairy free options. And for those of us who are conscious of the bank balance, which is probably all of us at the minute, there is also the option of a slightly more budget friendly set menu offering a selection of starters, mains and desserts from the main menu all day Monday to Friday and from 12pm-5pm on Saturday at £19.50 for two courses and £24 for three.
The main menu wasn’t cheap but for those frequenting Town Streets’ other venues not expensive in comparison. Starters ranging from £7.50 for bruschetta to £11.50 for sauteed king prawns. Pizzas and pasta dishes come in at an average price of about £15, and then a slightly more expensive seasonal specials menu starting at £16.50 up to £31.50. There are also salads and focaccia sandwiches if you are looking for a lighter option.
I chose the courgette, king prawn and squid starter, Fritto Misto, and my dining partner had the Gamberoni all’aglio e peperoncino, sauteed king prawns with pugliese toast.
We both enjoyed our starters, though I did find mine a little over salty. Not a problem for me but wouldn’t suit a lot of people. The king prawns were wolfed down in short order too, a good old fashioned king prawn Italian starter with a slightly more modern twist.
We washed our meals down with a drink from the pretty extensive drinks menu. I couldn’t comment on the wine or cocktails but there was a good selection at what seemed to me not above average prices for the setting, and looking at the reaction of other customers the selection offered a good range and the staff had a good knowledge of the wines and were well trained in the service of them.
As a beer drinker I did enjoy the house beer I had, the Pranzo IPA Birra by Coldbath Brewery.
Onto the mains and I had opted for one of the seasonal specials, the Pollo alla Milanese, chicken in breadcrumbs with parma ham, accompanied by asparagus and a wild mushroom and cream sauce. I particularly enjoyed the Italian roast potatoes that also came with it. Again I found it a little bit salty so not for every palette but not a problem for me. I couldn’t eat all of it sadly as the starter was quite filling, so maybe something to bear in mind there depending on your appetite.
My dining partner had the flat iron steak with rocket salad and fries. Superbly cooked exactly as required, nice quality tender meat and a fresh salad with a pleasant dressing.
We couldn’t justify a dessert after all that so opted for the bill then back to the car to walk it off. Transport wise the number 50/50a bus runs frequently to and from Town Street from central Leeds and all stations in between. Parking wise there are limited spaces on Town Street but there is a car park behind the restaurant.
We visited between 6pm and 7.30pm on a Wednesday evening and there was a steady flow of customers. Not suffocatingly busy by any means but enough that you might want to book a table in advance.
The final bill, with two starters, two mains from the seasonal menu and two beers came to £81 and was cheerfully delivered with a lovely note saying “have a lovely evening”. A nice little touch I thought.
So what does set Pranzo out from the crowd? The menu has a decent choice, the layout is light, comfortable, clean and warm. But the staff were exceptional. Chatty, polite, knowledgeable and helpful. A credit to the restaurant and the industry, in what is a difficult time for hospitality, and made it a pleasure to visit.
