Martini Restaurant in Central Bedfordshire

I’ve been to the “cottage bar and bistro” twice in the last couple of weeks and have enjoyed the food on both occasions. I had the mussels to start followed by spaghetti with seafood. Both were nicely cooked with fresh seafood and very delicious. Previously I had calamari and sea-bass which were also lovely. The portion size was perfect for me. The service was efficient and the chef was able to offer an alternate for our friend who had specific dietary requirements. I will return as there are other dishes on the menu which I’d like to try.

Very disappointed! The entree did not have the pasta that was supposed to be included with minced meat the ribs appeared to be have been reheated several times as they were tough as cardboard, and still managed to arrive cold! The Cinnabon Caramel Pecan Cheesecake did not have the ice cream. I paid over the odds including tip for a half-rack of ribs that I could barely ingest! I gave up with the garlic bread, and the broccoli as by that time I had lost my appetite!

We were very disappointed with our with the quality of the food and the presentation of the food. My wife ordered a Lasagne that was inedible, it contained one sheet of pasta, mince, tomato and lots of cheese. I ordered a Pasta dish that was barley edible and served in what looked like a dog bowl and the Garlic bread was overdone. My wife complained and eventually the lasagna was removed from the bill. I would definitely not recommend this restaurant to anyone, a very bad experience.

Very nice family meal - “Martini’s” now redecorated and trading as The Cottage was good, we had a range of dishes between 8 of us, all nicely presented, hot and well flavoured. House wine was good quality too. Really have no criticisms other than the dessert menu could be a bit more fulsome. Will visit again - great to have somewhere better quality in LB.

You would have thought for the price they would have used some fresh ingredients... Calamari and mozzerella came from the freezer, jar sauce in the pasta, steak came with literal bisto gravy, fish way too salty Didn't bother with deserts

Excellent meal, could not fault a thing. Service was top notch, very friendly staff. The atmosphere in the restaurant was warm and cozy

We went for a meal with another couple starters came Luke warm at best mains followed took some time all in food was average at best 2 of us skipped dessert, got the bill thought it was quite expensive for an average .

Lovely quaint restaurant with a nice atmosphere,but found it to be Very expensive for an average meal don't think we will revisit.

I visited with my wife and some friends for dinner in August 2023, and the entire experience was excellent. We sat at a well sheltered out door table where the ambience was great. The service was first rate, as was the food, and both food and wine reasonably priced. Altogether we all really enjoyed the visit and will certainly return.

Our friends who are local residents took us to Martini. We very much enjoyed our evening. Lovely old building, friendly welcome from the owner and staff. We ordered veal for the first time in a long time, very well cooked, excellent presentation and service. A very pleasant fun evening and we will certainly dine here again

We came to Martinis for a wedding celebration . The venue was excellent private and very well set out especially good on a very sunny day . The food was very good especially the shared starters. The service was excellent not rushed and very pleasant staff . We had a great time

We recently had our wedding reception here in their wonderful courtyard garden. Alessandro and his team made it the most amazing experience. The atmosphere, service and food was incredible. Everything was relaxed. We couldn't have asked for more. I can not recommended enough for dinner or perfect for a party to celebrate something special. It was like we were on holiday. Thank you so much 🌞☺️

A massive thank you to Alessandro and his great team for the most incredible wedding reception. The food, atmosphere and courtyard garden was amazing. Thank you for making our wedding truly special.

Was okay. Friendly service, average food. Duck salad offered so much but was tasteless and unexciting. Veal Milanese was ok, standard Italian fare, and pistachio tiramisu offered an interesting twist but was disappointing.

My wife and I discovered Martini Restaurant a couple of years before Covid struck. Alessandro the owner) hadn't been there long and told us his plans. Then Covid shut things down. During Covid he kept working towards those plans, with improved outdoor facilities, a redecorated main restaurant, and new furniture. In the past 12 months we've been back a handful of times, and his plans are coming true as he continually improves the restaurant. The menu and wine list are improved, and the quality of the food and service is still excellent. Tonight (a Thursday) the restaurant was about three quarters full. Clearly the word is getting around.

As ever, a friendly welcome and great service. This was pre Mothers Day dinner and we had a lovely time. All the food was well presented and delicious which as regular visitors never wavers. The primitivo red wine is top notch too. Looking forward to...

High class food and it is some of the best food I have ever tasted. Lovely for a classy night out. The staff are very friendly and the owners are on the ball and remember the people that have been there really recommend this place....

Not as great as we were hoping. Some dishes great, others average but expensive given the service level received on the night

Once again,they pulled out all the stops,and nothing was an issue for them.I had a part of 22 and everyone enjoyed their food and drink.All on time and all excellent 👌🏻

Thank you to Alessandro and your wonderful team. Superb Regional Night: Lazio last evening. 4 courses of beautifully cooked food. Great live music. Everything from Italian classics to Hollywood, Beatles and more . 2 1/2 hours of music. No rush here. All very relaxed. Great...

Lovely little restaurant with beautiful interior and rear garden area. Visited during the week for a birthday, staff were friendly and accommodating and the food is extremely tasty especially the almond cheesecake.

Would highly recommend Martini Restaurant for a fabulous evening out. The food, The Staff, The service and I must add, Value for money. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Alessandro, Alessandra and all the staff at Martini Restaurant for the wonderful evenings...

Alexandro and his team are amazing, ensuring everything was just right for our birthday celebration. We enjoyed delicious food, (another shout out for the calves liver) served in a relaxed atmosphere all brought together by a team who provided impeccable service. Be sure to take...

Such gorgeous food with a lovely menu to choose from, the dishes feel like the best of Italian food and the staff are lovely

Very welcoming staff. Calves liver was excellent which went well with the delicious primitivo. Will definitely revisit.

High quality Italian food. Smart setting. Varied menu choice without being excessive. Reasonable portion size. Very tasty. Tiramisu divine (good portion size). Decent bottle of red available. Friendly service, attentive without hovering.

40 years ago, I worked in a restaurant in Leighton Buzzard called The Candlelight. On Saturday, I visited there as a guest and was very pleasantly surprised at what I found. The decor was modern in one of the oldest buildings in Leighton but there...

Our first night back after lockdowns 1, 2 and 3 and what do you know, even better than before. Great new menu, very attentive and plentiful staff (a rarity now post-Brexit), brilliant atmosphere and Alessandro as kind and considerate as ever. Go back there!

This was our first visit to our favourite restaurant since it changed hands and underwent refurbishment. We were not disappointed. The food was beautifully cooked and incredibly well presented by staff who could not have provided better service. Attentive and friendly, and keen to add...

We were four friends out for a meal together. We all had different choices from the menu and all meals were excellent. My only complaint was that although all guests arrived wearing masks and did not take them off until they were seated the staff...

This is my 4th time back, and the mussels never disappoint. I’ve tried a variety of dishes, but the stake and seafood have always been exquisite. The staff is extremely kind and careful as well. This is a place you do not want to miss,...

Martinis used to be a restaurant we visited on a regular basis as it never failed to deliver. We heard the original owners had moved on and the restaurant was in new hands so we were excited to see what fresh ideas the new management...

We enjoyed a lovely meal to celebrate our son’s 30th birthday. The food was very good and the setting was perfect. They allowed us to bring a birthday cake and they brought it to the table with glasses of chilled limoncello and two lit fireworks...

We had a fantastic meal at Martini’s ,The food was excellent and very tasty ,Service was spot on and never felt rushed,We sat outside which is a hidden gem and was lovely on a warm summer evening -Will defintley be returning

Wonderful food. Authentic Italian and also extremely delicious. Wine and cocktails also first rate. Staff are very friendly and the setting is wonderful - a quaint, historic building. Excellent all round!

We had an absolutely amazing experience at Martini Restaurant. The food was incredibly delicious, well cooked, great portions! The staff is very friendly, helpful and welcoming! I would wholeheartedly recommend this restaurant!!

This place is fantastic, had a great meal and service could no faulted. Dont understand previius comments about food as had lobster today and was cooked and well seasoned. There was more lobster than ive had in other resturants. Staff were atentive and checked regulary...

Following a small wedding, we went to Martini's for dinner. What a lovely evening. It made a special day even more special. The food and service were excellent. Topped off with a fantastic Italian wedding cake! Nothing was too much trouble, even an early arrival...

This was meant to be a very special meal for our daughters birthday and it started off so well. We all went for the Frito misto which was great, but all of our mains were severely overcooked. My cod dish was soooo tough and the...

We had a lovely family dinner tonight. Despite bad weather the staff did everything to make us comfortable in the outside dining area. Food was delicious, staff friendly and attentive. All 4 of us (including 9 and 7 year old) decided we will be back...

Whilst the 'new management' is not that new anymore - it took me some time to get round to going to what had been a 'regular haunt' - which I loved. Within the last two weeks I have had a Saturday lunch and a weekday...

We had a reservation in another restaurant which was not open, so ended up here at 7:30 p.m. on a busy Friday night just before Christmas. They very kindly found room for our table of four, despite no warning. The food was good, although not...

Our first take away from Martinis, and a bit if a mixed bag to be honest. The order was ready in about half an hour, and each dish was in the same size container - which meant that the side orders of potatoes and veg...

Best restaurant in town. Service, food, atmosphere and hospitality was top notch. We had wild board pappardelle and filet steAk and it was honestly one of the best meal we’ve had in a long time. Ask for the cheesecake of the day as it was...

Fantastic birthday meal! On arrival we were prompted to sign in on the appt ALL the staff waiting & behind the bar wore masks at all times & we were made to feel VERY Covid secure. As a table of 5 we were seated upstairs...

We have visited a couple of times since re-opening and can say that we feel more safe here than all other restaurants we have visited so far . We came to Martini for the 3rd time last night. As always, I was greeted at arrival with all the staff wearing masks. Like every other time, the food was delicious, the service was impeccable and despite these strange times and covid restrictions they have managed to keep the cosy friendly atmosphere. Can't wait to bring my sister to celebrate her birthday next month. Thank you and well done in what is very stressful times for this industry.

We have recently ‘rediscovered’ this restaurant having been regulars years ago. Our first visit only a couple of weeks ago was great with good food and what seemed like strict rules In place regarding Covid. Unfortunately these measures seem to have been dropped at the weekend. We had to ask the waitress how to check for track and trace as they weren’t prompting people to do it on entry, she continually had her mask below her nose and the head waiter actually pulled his mask down to speak to us every time we ordered??!! The stern looking lady behind the counter serving drinks didn’t wear a mask at any point in blatant disregard for her staff which probably explained why they were not taking the situation seriously either. As we left, dead on 10pm as per the guidelines there was clearly still a large party of people upstairs. We wanted to give them the benefit of doubt and assume it was a wedding until they all started singing Happy Birthday. Let’s hope they all checked in with the NHS app at the start of their evening. Great food and a great menu in a lovely setting but sadly we won’t be going back as we didn’t feel safe - what a shame.

What a great find ! Really helpful friendly staff - lovely food really well cooked and presented and in a lovely setting We will be back Well worth a visit

First take a look at the wonderful old building dating 1600 that this restaurant is in before you enter.We were sitting in a social distancing setting downstairs. The staff were polite, helpful and happy.The steaks ordered were in 3 different levels of cooking and they were all done perfectly and were delicious. The other order was very good too.We shared a tiramisu which was excellent and the other couple had a tiramisu and ice cream which were well received.A relaxed, delightful evening with friends with in a comfortable setting and an excellent meal.

Really amazing food and good service .nice amount of space for Covid times.thanks . Nduja rispoto was excellent

I'm Italian, I'm based in London since 3 years now and this is the first italian restaurant where I feel like at home. The Parmigiana di Melanzane is marvellous! Cozze alla Marinara are superb! I was in Leighton Buzzard for work and I went there twice in a row. The quality of the ingredients and the passion/love for food tradition does the most. No need to say, they have a selection of the best italian wines... this restaurant is a precious pearl in town!Bravi Ragazzi! I hope to see you soon!Tom & Faby

Came here for a first visit with my partner for a date night on Wednesday. We had a very nice bottle of wine and our food was really tasty. The outside area has been transformed with gazebos and lighting to accommodate social distancing. The owner has managed to achieve this without ruining the atmosphere of the restaurant. I would definitely recommend as a romantic venue.

Thought we'd give a takeaway here a go but was disappointingly quite average especially for the price and tasted quite bland.

A nice takeaway following covid19 restrictions to ensure we received our Italian food hit. Would recommend for all types of visitors (couples etc) but the lack of vegetarian/ vegan options on the menu was disappointing. Lovely building and decor though.

Had our first takeaway from Martini Restaurant last night and I have to say the food was fabulous. Given that takeaway isn’t something they normally do we found the whole experience very easy and professional. Our meal was pre-ordered the day before and a collection time agreed. We live in strange times at the moment and it’s people like this that make this situation more bearable. Thanks and good luck. Keep it up!

Was this a normal Italian experience? No. Not a pizza in sight. Was the food any good? It was fabulous. We had as the main course a risotto cookedi in a wonderful seafood bisque and beautifuly presented with fidh and prawn. Not only that but our pate starter was fresh and original as were the ice cream deserts. Thanks, Alessandro, for your attentive (but not intrusive) service and the immaculate white table linen. You'll be seeing us again.

Booked here for a group of 12 to celebrate my parent's diamond wedding anniversary.We were really well looked after and the food was exceptionally good, everyone really enjoyed it. Alessandro takes great pride in his restaurant and justifiably so.We are looking forward to visiting again soon!

Lovely meal beautifully cooked and presented. Good efficient service. A warm welcome smart clean surroundings. Great restaurant for a celebration meal.

Clean, friendly, welcoming, atmospheric, cosy and above all else first class food and quality wine. It was the essence of Italy - properly i.e.not Anglicised. We can't wait to go again.

We went to Martini restaurant yesterday and we had a great welcome from the moment we walked in. Alessandro all have been amazing and friendly, always making sure we had the best service (and they definitely succeeded). They accommodated all our needs always with a smile on their face! The quality of food was excellent from the starters to the dessert. Highly recommended and you want to experience a real taste of Italy! You won’t regret it! We will definitely go back!

After visiting my daughter in Leighton Buzzard we went for a meal at this lovely quaint Italian restaurant, the service and food were excellent making our entire evening a very enjoyable dining experience.

Still a superb restaurant offering excellent quality in terms of both service and food along with a friendly atmosphere.

I had a table with my partner and 2 friends in November as this restaurant looked good according to TA, sadly it wasn't the best evening.The restaurant was busy which often is a good sign. Service was as you would expect to start with. The white wine recommended wasn't great.The starters arrived and myself and partner had the prawns which were certainly not very warm upon arrival. It felt as they had been left out for a while before serving.We then waited for the mains which was a long gap but we didn't mind too much as were busy chatting. My pasta was ok but my partners lamb was very fatty and dry. Our friends said their food was nice but was more not to complain as we had recommended this place. We didn't bother with desert as we didn't want to add to the bill. Overall the service wasn't very attentive and food did not wow us. Sadly not again.

We went for dinner as a party of four to celebrate our friends’ recent wedding. The food, the wine, the staff, the ambience were all absolutely perfect. We’ve been here many times over the years and it is consistently of an excellent standard. Thank you to all the staff for making our evening very special and memorable.

We booked a table for 8pm - waited til 9.15pm until the starters arrived which were lukewarm at best. My wife had duck which even the manager admitted didnt look great when the bill arrived and another table had complained about! The red wine was 11,5% which they reccomended was like Ogio and the white which they recommended too was so basic! Food arrived at 10pm and was average at best! My mother was genuinely sick on the table due to waiting so long so my wife had to take her to the toilets.

We had a fabulous visit to Martini Restaurant this evening to celebrate my birthday. Couldn't fault a thing. The food was delicious and the service was excellent. Alessandro is a brilliant host and the overall feel of the the restaurant was very welcoming.

A delightful place. The owner was charming and very attentive. The wine that was suggested to me by the waiter was delicious. I had prawns in a white wine sauce in small pasta twists. It had a delicate flavour, beautifully cooked. My fellow diner had the duck leg.

We’ve passed by Martini’s many times, but never until last night been in to eat. Wow, what a fantastic place, such a great Italian vibe. The food was amazing, the service was brilliant, all the staff were very friendly I think we had ‘Nero’ serve us most of the night, such a funny guy. We will definitely be coming back with friends. 10/10 on customer service, food, price & atmosphere..

Fantastic and tender duck and great wine selection. Authentic italian atmosphere and attentive staff.

Fantastic Food and very friendly and attentive staff. The four of us had the most lovely food all three courses will definitely be back. Also exciting news about there future plans.

8 of us turned up without a reservation but the friendly, helpful waiter happily rearranged the tables so that we could all sit together.

We were on a return visit and the menu has been extended. Great new dishes and the mixed fish dish is spectacular ( for fish lovers ) a friend had the Sirloin and said it was the best he had ever had, another the new Salmon dish very nice, Add a bottle of their famous Cavi sit outside in a wonderful atmosphere with great service and your evening could not be more complete - a must for great restaurant lovers 5* plus

Been here a few times and food has never disappointed. The restaurant is cozy and has a great atmosphere. Friendly staff and will definitely be back again.

Yep new menu and keeps getting better and better. Well worth a visit particularly as with the summer now here you can eat al fresco in the wonderful garden enjoying some great Italian cooking and hospitality.

Went for dinner with my wife and this was lovely we've been a few times before but the ownership has now changed. I had a delightful courgette and soft cheese starter and my wife had aubergine both were delicious. Main course was just as good.

We visited Martini's a couple of weeks ago - our third visit since the restaurant came under new management - and yet again we had a wonderful meal. We had visited Martini many times under the previous owners and were very disappointed when they decided to retire but we must confess that it is now even better than before! There are plenty of menu options for all tastes - and they are always more than happy to tweak a menu item if possible or to suggest alternatives so that even the most difficult to please gets a delicious meal. Happy to say Martini is once again our go-to restautrant!

Four visits this year and very satisfied on each occasion.

Summer evening,sitting out in a courtyard with friends having a very enjoyable meal. Pretty near perfection! New ownership has improved the layout and decor but the menu and food are as good as ever with very attentive efficient staff. Outside area packed on a Saturday evening and that just added to the atmosphere. If I have a grumble it was some items on the menu were 'off' but perhaps that a testament to such popularity.

Fantastic place to eat and all the staff are very friendly and catered for 22 people without hassle

It was a serious worry when Martini changed hands after so many wonderful meals. However the new owners have added a few fantastic menu tweaks and the service is as good as ever. Very friendly recognise you and a thoroughly great atmosphere.

We had a really excellent meal for a group of 8 - such such a big group, we must have sampled almost everything on the menu between us.. every one was full of praise each of their three courses and the house white was also excellent. The new owners are a breath of fresh air, after their grumpy predecessor went in holiday and never came back.... and it is great to see an independent, family restaurant turning out such fantastic meals and growing their business in the current challenging market. We will be back.

Myself and wife enjoyed at great meal here. The restaurant was full on a Saturday so we were lucky to be able to book a table. The menu is fairly simple but on the day we visited there was an extensive list of specials. I had a special, ink spaghetti with mussels prawn and Calamari that was excellent. Despite being busy service was attentive and reasonably paced. The decor is simple but constrained by the old timber frame construction of the building. Tables are quite close together.

Went on a Friday night. Packed! Lovely to see them so busy. Food and service excellent. You can feel their passion for the food. Enjoyed our evening here and great to see the new owners putting their stamp on things

Never been to Leighton Buzzard before and we needed somewhere to eat so had a little search and double checked on TripAdvisor and found this little gem. Beautifully decorated, lovely attentive staff and excellent food. If we go that way again will be sure to pay a visit.... especially when they open the wine bar

White tablecloths normally put me off, as they can add £££s to the bill for little more than pretension, but we took the risk after seeing Martini rated highly on TripAdvisor and were pleasantly surprised.

Fantastic Italian food. Staff great. Meal not too expensive. Fillet steaks beautiful and good portion size to our surprise. Will definitely pay another visit.

Me and two friends went for a girls evening and all really loved it. Food was lovely and fresh and staff very nice and friendly. Will definitely be returning

My girlfriend and I have enjoyed a few nights at this lovely place. Fairly small menu, but a very good selection. Great food and service. Would definitely recommend to anyone. Easily the best Italian in Leighton Buzzard

Came here with my wife last Friday after coming a couple of years ago. Was very impressed the food was authentic Italian food! Also like the feel of the restaurant it’s very tastefully decorated and the waiters are brilliant, they take time to talk with you which makes you feel very welcome which is great! The food was excellent, my burrata which was lovely. My wife was greedy and ordered 2 starters and were both great! The mains were the stars of the show both were so tasty, really high standard of cooking. My wife’s was the boar parpadelle ragu and mine was the lobster parpadelle and I don’t think I would be exaggerating if I said it was possibly the best Italian pasta dish I’ve ever had!! The deserts, cheesecake and panacotta also delivered. We will definitely be back!!

My husband and I revisited this restaurant last weekend for the first time in years. We will certainly be returning! For main I had the boar parpedelle ragu which was delicious and both our starters and desserts were also yum. Very reasonably priced as well. Thank you for a lovely evening!

Fabulous meal tonight. New owner Alessandro is doing a fantastic job here. Superb food, excellent service and a lovely atmosphere.

We went to Martinis for a valentines meal and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. The service was friendly and efficient and the food was superb. We enjoyed, beautifully presented, delicious food from a set menu and decent bottle of wine (or two).

Having recently moved to the area we’d been meaning to try this restaurant. Finally did and what a lovely experience. The staff were are very knowledgable, friendly but professional. The new owner is very hospitable and genuinely passionate about what he does. We saw home visit all guests frequently and made everyone feel at home. It was a delight to see.

Well done Alessandro! The meal was 5 star excellence, a real gem in the heart of Leighton Buzzard. Cant wait for the summer to experience the courtyard! Great restaurant, and great people running it. 10 out of 10

Returned on March 20th for another spectacular meal. The specials offered Tuna and Salmon for starters, not to mention the prawn carpaccio, exquisite. The sea bas main was delightful, full of flavors with a pasta side dish. Some of our friends had the 240 gram fillet steak, with cream and mushroom sauce and there was a mozzarella version

We wanted to go and eat out on a Saturday night, but within walking distance, and didn't fancy Asian food so at the last minute we booked Martinis, an Italian restaurant under new management. A good sign was the warm greeting in Italian. We had one of the best tables and another good sign was crisp white linen on the tables. The food did not disappoint. Brilliant in every way. Romantic atmosphere but lively enough. Thoroughly recommend this place.

Great evening at this super restaurant for a birthday celebration. Alessandro and the new team could not have been better. Good service, lovely food and wine, and a great atmosphere. This new team has brought this great little restaurant back to life.

Great atmosphere and top grub - one of the tastiest steaks I've had in a while. We were celebrating a friends birthday (they did him a slice of cake with a candle in). I hadn't been to Martinis for a while. It was always good so very pleased to find it still ticks all the boxes. One of our go-to places when we visit Leighton Buzzard - well done!

What a disappointment not like the original Martinis new owners need to make some changes fast. Service very friendly but not very good, not shown specials, request for items to be left off a dish ignored.

I have been at this restaurant for the first time last week with my family !May I say that is really a good recommendation for everybody.Once you are around Leighton Buzzard is a stop that you must do.Top food,service and atmosphere a trinity that makes this restaurant one of the tops!Thank you very much to Alessandro,the manager,who made me feel at home.Even the price for value of this experience is unbeatable!