Amalfi in Chelmsford

It was Monday and my wife and I wanted to mark a special occasion. I went on Google maps and chose a place with a good rating. Amalfi has a perfect 5 stars and is alone in this in Chelmsford as far as I can see. Now, a surprise. The bistro is situated on a busy business centre near to homebase. Call it an upmarket factory estate if you will, but don't let that put you off. Andrea, the chef welcomed and seated us, took our orders, waited, cooked, served and generally looked after us. He is a lovely man and deserves to get on. The ambiance is just right. There is something interesting to look at in every direction. You can watch him cook, plate up and gives you an intimate experience that you would not get elsewhere. Andrea is obviously proud of his venture and this shows in his attention to detail. I said to my wife at the time, eating out is about the food and not necessarily the surroundings. One can have the most beautiful surroundings and a second rate chef and your experience would be ruined. Fortunately, Andrea really knows his job and this is refected in the high quality of his food. For starters we both shared a bruschetta which actually was a work of art and truly delicious. I had the chicken escalopes in a lemon sauce with chips and the sauce was to die for. I was debating whether in the absence of bread I could soak it up with my serviette and eat the serviette! It was that good. My wife had pasta with prawns. She loved it. We both finished with a Rum Baba each and I had a double espresso to go with it. The coffee was great and the crema perfect. The price was very reasonable, so reasonable in fact that I thought he miscalculated. The whole experience was perfect for us and I do know a bit about cooking being a past chef myself. We will most certainly be back. Thank you Andrea - bellissima 29th November 2024. Went to Andrea's new bistro in Chelmsford centre. The quality of the food remains the same - outstanding, but the ambience has improved 1000% over his previous premises. Better furniture, nicer decor, staff are very attentive. It was a Friday evening and by 8pm the place was packed. Everybody seemed to be enjoying themselves. The current version of Amalfi is much better than the last. The multi storey car park is only 1 min away. Andrea and his staff are certainly doing everything right. We shall be back soon and I have no difficulty recommending Amalfi to all. Thanks for a lovely evening Andrea!

Had my birthday meal here the other weekend and the whole experience was amazing from the food to the service. Would definitely recommend if you want a nice intimate Italian experience

Andrea looked after us from the moment we arrived. The food was perfect and delicious. Can’t recommend enough for pre cinema or theatre meal, or any occasion! Brilliant 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Delicious food (especially the pistachio tiramisu!) and friendly staff - a lovely restaurant :)

Went there Thursday evening with my daughter and her boyfriend for her 21st. Fabulous atmosphere, well decorated. The staff were friendly and charming. The food was fantastic and the prices very reasonable for the quality of the meals. Will definitely be returning.

A good Puttanesca. This chef knows what he’s doing. I will recommend it to everyone.

Another good meal. Thanks again!

An absolutely wonderful restaurant, small in size but the food is big in flavour. You need to book a table or you may be unlucky getting one, especially as more people discover the wonderful food they serve. Very friendly staff and definately worth visiting.

We absolutely loved our meal at this restaurant and are really excited it is new to the high street. This place is SO authentic and definitely the highest standard of Italian food you can get in Chelmsford. The food is proper Italian pasta and is cooked to such a high standard. The atmosphere is cosy and authentic, and the service are really friendly and courteous. Highly recommend this place!

We popped in without a booking and asked for a table for 3. We couldn't have had a warmer welcome! So friendly! They very quickly seated us. The staff were all fantastic the food was amazing and the price was so reasonable. We live in Norfolk but will definitely make the effort to come back here! 100% my new favourite Italian restaurant - small but perfectly formed!

Came to Amalfi bistro for a family celebration and we all had a lovely meal! The service was faultless, and the food was appetizing,light and so moreish! I had the Aranchini for starter and they are to die for! Alongside Pollo Milanese which was also very good! Praises all round from the family! It’s clear the Owner/Chef Andrea certainly knows his stuff! Here is just some of the culinary delights that were served to us! Will definitely be back, Thankyou

Superb food, delightful staff, and friendly atmosphere. What more could one ask for? Our first visit but certainly not our last!! I highly recommend the Amalfi.

Amazing service the staff were the most friendly and accommodating !!! Food was delicious and just a great , homely restaurant!! Thank you we will be coming back for sure !! And all for a great price too :)

One of the most incredible dining experiences. The food was incredible, the service was spectacular and the energy was thriving! Couldn’t recommend it enough. (We’ve literally just left and I had to leave a review asap!)

Oh my lord... proper Italian flavourful food. Everything was gorgeous.

Chef and owner was really friendly. Very nice atmosphere with some Italian music in the background. Food was superb and reasonably priced

Good food, friendly staff, a little piece of Italy in the centre of Chelmsford.

Couldn’t recommend more went in last minute yesterday eve moved chairs around to squeeze 3 of us in amazing services everyone making us feel welcome Amazing food the chef even making items off the menu for us Very well priced will definitely going back soon !

Lovely place, served with a smile and very kind owner, my daughter really loved her bolognese, she couldn't eat it all as the portion was massive! Thankyou and hope we can come to your new restaurant in November. Update June 2024, new location same great quality food, as usual my daughter couldn’t finish it all 😂

Gorgeous restaurant, not too loud, nice music. Waiter was very attentive and food was absolutely delicious! I recommend the tiramisu

Excellent food. 1st class quality. Thank you for saving us from bland.

Good Neapolitan food! Very nice and quiet place

I visited amalfi bistro over the weekend & I must it was amazing. I had the Arancini balls which I must were amazing & my partner had the chefs appetiser which she particularly enjoyed. For the mains I had the Scalippina Porcini & the sauce was excellent & my partner had the swordfish which was also amazing. For deserts we had a tiramisu & pannacotta which you could definitely tell were hone made. Service was first class & the restaurant was lovely & clean & very well decorated. We will definitely be back again in the near future

Our experience was not great at any level. Starting with the waiter swearing when telling his story about previous work in some Care home to his co workers in front of us. The food arrived we had big expectations and nothing delivered. Starters was at the best average, lack of sizing on everything, when we went outside for some fresh air we watched Chef putting loads of stuff in a microwave which was a bit worrying, especifically that according to the menu everything is freshly made. Main meal was horrible, split sauce, the chicken was battered to the thickness of paper. We understand that everyone can have a bad day so we still decided to try desserts. Tiramisu according to the menu is home made, trust me you can buy better at any supermarket and panacota was disappointing as it tasted plastic/bought in.

Amazing meal and fantastic service. We will be back

Beautiful little restaurant! Exceptional pricing for quality of food and attentive staff.

Excellent italian food and superb. Will definitely be returning.

Been wanting to try this place since they moved from the industrial estate. So when in town wondering where do go for lunch we thought we'd give it a go. The whole place is very nicely decorated throughout, very clean, seriously comfy seats and a very pleasant toilet. Prices are very reasonable and the food was great. We had the Pappardelle con Cozze e Fagioli and Spaghetti Amatriciana which were both great but the highlight was the Pistachio Tiramisu... Wow. I could forgo the starter and main and just have 3 or 4 of those 😋 I'd imagine with the quality of food and the reasonable pricing, evenings get very busy very quickly. Our only negative and it is only a small one is that while my wife was still eating, the waitress came and took my plate away. (some people I'm sure are OK with this but you really should wait until everyone's finished eating) We'll definitely be back to try the evening service soon.

The food was good but adding service charge £3.5 without any advice in advance was strictly not fair and cheeky.

Great place. Lovely food, cannot wait to go again.

The best place,romantic,comfortable atmosphere,good staff…and the food and wine is the best quality…amazing…I’m here many times…

Without a doubt the most amazing pasta I’ve ever had

Really enjoyed eating at the last location so my partner and I were excited to try the new restaurant, did not disappoint. The melanzana parmigiana and cannolis especially are divine. Quaint and cosy dining area, lovely atmosphere. The chef / owner is a lovely guy, very smiley and happy. Really friendly, personal service.

Whilst we could not make the open drinks celebration, we managed to take the last two space for a quick Saturday lunch. WOW... deep fried lasagne, bruschetta, glass of house white and lattè. Honest, flavoursome food with great service. We were regularly customers when they were off Waterhose Lane. Now they are in the town, I will be back for many business lunches. We'll done guys, keep it up.

Had a wonderful meal here. Big portions and good food in a small laid back environment. Chef is lovely and made it feel so personal. Can’t wait to visit at your new location.

Delicious and very authentic Italian food. Really enjoyable and so flavourful.

What a sublime experience! The most amazingly fresh and tasty food and wonderfully warm service made for a perfect dining experience. It was great to see our food so lovingly prepared during the evening. Delighted to know that the restaurant is relocating to the centre of Chelmsford - it should be a huge hit!

Really tasty food, lots of flavours. Would definitely go again

Good atmosphere,, food reasonable priced

Absolutely love Amalfi. It's one of those foodie secrets. Authentic Italian and totally recommend you see for yourselves

Recommended by freinds, visited for lunch today Andrea was a lovely and welcoming hoste, a nice atmosphere and watching Andrea prepare our fresh food was a delight as was the food itself. We have had a house in Italy for over 17 years now and are lucky to have sampled authentic Italian food and this was exactly it, beautiful food good service and a great find, if you haven't visited then do so

Authentic Italian cuisine. Great menu choices, the flavours are amazing with delightful owners/staff. Nice, strong coffee too! ☕

Just discovered this Italian Bitro but disappointed that we could not sit in or outside with coffee & cake as it was lunchtime. And the point was there was only two other people in there. I'm glad their doing well as they can turn away any sort of custom. Shame I like their menu. Couldn't do ⁷rating because we left.

Dont be put off by the surroundings (business park ) .. The food is so delicious & authentic ! .. we had a table for five for my daughter’s birthday last night & had a wonderful dining experience ..Thank you

Fantastic. Food, drinks, service. Highly recommend - we’ll be back!

Food amazing. Chef and staff very friendly. A real hidden gem.

What a delight! Hidden amongst an industrial unit area of chelmsford, this authentic Italian restaurant offers fresh ingredients cooked to perfection. We had 3 courses and all were exceptional! Will definitely be visiting again soon. The lasagne was a hit with our table and the seafood pasta was full to the brim with shellfish! Desserts are not to be missed either!

Great chef. Italian Coffee Italian car meeting 3rd Saturday of the month 11-1400

Great family run place with super tasty food! Will definitely go again if around.

Absolutely beautiful place with amazing food and service, and Italian vibe!

One of the best Italian food I've ever taste! Congrats to the owners!

What a blinding restaurant. Food was excellent. Great service, And not expensive. Already booked up again.

***Hidden Gem*** Found this place by chance tucked away on Waterhouse business centre. Best lunch I ve had in a long time. Can't wait to bring the family back very soon. I had the tagliatelle zucchini and gamberoni. Pasta was cooked perfectly. Wanted to try the pistachio tiramisu as not seen it before. Boy I wasn't disappointed, totally lush!!!! All washed down with an Italian cold beer. Perfect!!!!

Great food, company and nothing was too much trouble for the staff

Nice little cafe next to a nice little Italian supermarket. Fantastic coffee (didn't eat so the food rating is for their drinks) , not expensive and outside tables so you can sit in the sunshine. Friendly service too. Friends have recommended the food so I'll update once I've eaten there.

Beautiful food, beautiful people! I come here when I miss real Italian food. Thank you! I’m glad there is seating outside, it’s an easy relaxing experience!

On the way back from a day trip to Corchester from London, we were searching for a restaurant and stumbled upon this place. The food was absolutely delicious and extremely satisfying. The service was excellent, providing a relaxing and comfortable atmosphere. Grazie ありがとう🇯🇵😊

Great authentic Italian food. My daughter has rubber stamped it too. Have recommended.

A bit quirky but the food was excellent and the staff keen to make you happy. I loved watching the food being prepared. Italian food at its best.

Amazing food, that more than makes up for the less than amazing location.

We had a wonderful dinner at Amalfi for our wedding anniversary. Andrea is an amazing chef, and the food was perfect! I understand all the 5 star reviews, they are well deserved! We will definitely be back again!

Great food and lovely people. The only thing that would prevent us from returning is the fact that all of our clothes smelt of cooking due to inadequate ventilation.

We managed to book a table at short notice and had the most delicious meal. The food was freshly prepared and came out promptly despite it being busy and was very generous in portion size so sadly couldn't manage a dessert as well. Will definitely be back! Credit where credit's due, especially in Chelmsfords oversaturated market, independent restaurants need all the support we can give!

Just had lunch as a family of 4. Amazing food and great hospitality. We will be visiting regularly.

I have eaten here several times and it’s always been incredible with fantastic service. My partner is Italian and struggles to find good food so I took him a takeaway, he said it was by far the best meatballs, lasagne and tiramisu he has ever had!

We had the nicest takeaway. Super chef so friendly and great proper Italian food !!! Look forward to having an ‘eat in’ very soon !!

Stumbled into this unassuming bistro for lunch and was pleasantly surprised. The owner could not have been more accommodating if he tried and made space for a pram at the table. All food was prepared fresh to order and the kitchen was full view. The portions were a great size as well.

Where has this place been. Hidden away in the middle of an industrial estate. Phenomenal. Food great, service great, atmosphere great. 12/10. You need to be somewhere like Maldon High Street. Love it.

Truly wonderful food curated and served by a passionate chef. Have visited twice over the past 6 months, will definitely visit again.

Amazing food, proper authentic Italian. It's a no-frills restaurant that focuses on very good food. Prices are reasonable and it's extremely good value. Looking forward to making another visit.

A real Italian restaurant with real great authentic food. The owner is super attentive, will return again soon.

I love this place 🥰The food is super delicious and smells amazing. The service is great and the girls who work there are so nice and polite. The atmosphere is excellent, I love the selection of music they have and make me feel like I'm in Italy. And last but not least is the chef, he is amazing and he is extremely great on what he does. Thank you very much for your delicious food and can't wait to come back.

Freshly made expertly cooked Italian cooking at its best.

Great little gem of a place. Good coffee and pastries. Visited for Italian Car Meet (3rd Saturday if anyone is interested) Just dropped in tonight for dinner (27/01/23), great Carbonara and friendly service from the team of three.

We had a lovely lunch and the service was excellent.

We had the pleasure of a long lunch this week over some excellent wine. The food is truly outstanding, I really mean it, some of the best I’ve tasted. We will be back

Definitely the best place in Essex for Italian cuisine. I love everything about this restaurant, the food, the service, the ambiance, the list could go on! A little piece of Amalfi, in Chelmsford - perfect. The most divine place to visit, for any occasion, you will always be made to feel very welcome.

Fantastic experience...lovely people... food to die for.. Best Italian meatballs ever 😋 very very happy 😊 thank you

Amazing authentic Italian food and huge portions!

Amazing dinner, food was 10/10 and service was brilliant, would definitely recommend!!

I came here first time and the food down to the customer experience was exceptional. As soon as you walk in you feel at home. That is truly the Italian experience with the home cooked food. Lovely little gem with authentic cuisine using the finest freshest ingredients.

When you are Italian and you live outside London it is quite hard to find an authentic Italian restaurant. We have been lucky enough to come across this lovely place over a year ago and since then we do come specifically to Chelmsford just to have a meal in here. They have just a few tables so the service is always spot on. Everything is authentic and made fresh when you order the food. On our visit today I have made a request which was slightly outside the options on the menu and it has been accommodated, so you can see in the video a lovely plate of gnocchi alla bolognese 😍 Have you ever tried the pistachio spread? Are you a pistachio lover? If so you HAVE TO visit this place and get the Pistachio Cannolo (which is the one in the picture), please note you may develop an addiction to this spread 🫣😄 We come to this place quite regularly and we always recommend to people looking for an authentic Italian place to try Amalfi Bistro ❤️

Delicious authentic Italian food made fresh. The man who served us was very friendly and gave excellent service.

A hidden gem - food is utterly delicious and the chef/proprietor is just lovely. Highly recommend.

Such a perfect little place. My wife & I had a lovely time here this evening. The food is prepared freshly, right in front of you and tastes absolutely incredible. We cannot say enough good about the place, a properly hidden gem, we will definitely be returning!!!

Evening out with my husband. Each had a 3 course meal of lovely authentic Italian food. Best arancini outside of Scilly! We will definitely be back.

Always amazing !! I dine in a lot with my Italian boyfriend who loves to eat here and will not go anywhere else to eat pasta! The fish is always fresh and cooked to perfection . Every 2-3 weeks there is a new specials board with exciting dishes. The amalfi bistro is very affordable and better quality than any other Italian restaurants that I have been to in England. I have never found such an authentic Italian bistro in England. Andrea is a great chef 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

Wow! Went to this Gem of a place a couple weeks ago and its hands down the best Italian food I’ve had in some time. The owner/waiter/chef oozes passion and it pours out into his food. Keep going my friend, hope to see an amalfi bistro in London one day.

Had lunch here today for my sister's birthday. I messaged them via Instagram before our visit to ask if the chef would make a pasta dish containing no salt for my baby who is weaning and he replied to say it would not be a problem. On arrival the chef came out to explain he had made 2 sauces especially for my baby and everything was prepared - fantastic service! My baby thoroughly enjoyed his pasta! We all had a wonderful meal, the food was delicious and just like being in Italy. The atmosphere is so relaxed, my half Italian husband said it was just like being round one of his relatives' house in Italy. The lunch was long and relaxed and the waitress was lovely and really attentive. We also brought in a homemade birthday cake as a surprise for my sister and Andrea was more than happy to accommodate this. All in all a great experience and we will definitely be back! You should all be very proud of your bistro :)

A fantastic experience. Amazing food and service. My fiancé and I were really impressed and happy with the whole experience. We will definitely be visiting again.

Delicious Italian food served by an Italian chef

Delicious food in the loviest atmosphere. All freshly made by the chef in full view so we could watch. We had a lovely evening here and we will be back soon

Andrea is the owner and head chef, amazing food and great service. A little gem of a place with fresh Italian dishes cooked by Andrea himself.

Best kept secret in Chelmsford ! Absolutely fantastic food & a warm welcome every time we visit !

A hidden gem great authentic food and a relaxing atmosphere. I would fully recommend a visit.

Great find, friendly service with very tasty food. Generous portions and excellent value. Would recommend.

Not joking, best Italian restaurant that I've never tasted on this country. I repeat it: I'm not joking

authentic italian food from an authentic italian man. very very reasonably priced, and they make you feel so welcome and attended to. we love it, it's the best italian restaurant i've ever been to 👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌

Fresh affordable cuisine. Well worth a visit for an authentic taste of Italy.

Food was excellent. Cooked on the spot. Amazing service. Fresh produce. And the best Italian "scotch eggs" - to die for!