Bella’s restaurant in Maldon

My wife and I decided to give Luigi's a try last night and I must say, we were extremely impressed with the food. A basic bread and oil appetizer to start with homemade bread was a great indicator that this restaurant does not simply order in the basics. Simple, yet very well done. For the main, I opted for the carbonara. This dish is the standard I judge Italian restaurants by, an extremely simple dish that when done well, is outstanding. When done poorly, it summarises all you need to know about where you're eating. Luigi's provided the best carbonara I've had in years! The homemade pasta was served al dente and the sauce was made to perfection. Glossy, creamy with an optimal salt content provided by the protein finished with a healthy helping of pecorino established this dish as an instant win. My wife chose a stone baked pizza with mushrooms and olives and vegan cheese. The dough, again, was perfection, the sauce and cheese blend couldn't have been better and the crust was soft and light yet had the perfect crisp outer layer. My only criticism would be that maybe the center of the pizza could use a little more structure as it was quite limp but that's a completely personal preference. The restaurant itself is very small and personal, the decor is reminiscent of classic Italian eateries with the red and white table layouts, old tins and trinkets surrounding the walls with a tasteful throwback to the old country. I would suggest maybe Italian music and lower light levels as my one criticism was the radio was playing upbeat almost club like music and that really did take away from the ambience that could've made this experience a solid ten. If you love Italian food, Luigi's is a must. The carbonara truly made me remember why this cuisine is my favourite and the wonderful staff made this restaurant feel like I was in a friend's home. Luigi's Al Fresco, you will see me again. And again. And again.

Went here tonight with friends as they have not been here before. Good selection on offer of some nice dishes to try but not the biggest menu, that said we all found something we wanted. All food was presented lovely and didn’t disappoint with the taste. Only one waitress working but she copes well and you’re not left waiting around for long. All in all a Nice little restaurant great treating food at a fair price what more could you want.

Great little business local and friendly

Amy our waitress was awesome. So was the food! Will definitely be back 😁