Winner
Chosen by our judges:
The Carpenter’s Arms, Walesby, Nottinghamshire
Shortlist
The top public vote-winners:
The Carpenter’s Arms, Walesby, Nottinghamshire
Hemisphere, West Bridgford, Nottingham
FERN, Uppingham, Rutland
Piccalilli, Nottingham
The winner is The Carpenter’s Arms, which from the outside looks like a perfectly pleasant Nottinghamshire village pub. Step through the door, however, and you’ll discover an Italian restaurant of rare quality.
North Notts native John Bodice and Christian Colarieti from Rome have created a venue now routinely listed among the best in the region, celebrated for its uncompromising focus on classic Italian cuisine. They achieve this with zero pretension and a deep commitment to quality produce, including seasonal vegetables from their own kitchen garden. The dishes are hearty yet elegant, expressing generosity of spirit and a genuine joy in good food.
We began with handmade pasta – cappelletti stuffed with crab and prawn in a vibrant saffron, lemon and cream sauce. The seafood flavours were beautifully captured. From the specials, we chose zucchini friti – simple, crisp slices of fried courgette served with superb lemon mayo.
For mains, manzo brassato – a hefty ox cheek slow-cooked for 12 hours – delivered deep, rich flavour and an unctuous texture. Cheese-crusted polenta, rosemary-roasted vegetables and a powerful red wine sauce completed the dish. Equally impressive was lightly smoked cod wrapped in prosciutto, served on perfectly cooked risotto with fresh peas and lemon – a plate that radiated care and love.
Dessert was torte della nonna: lemon custard in rich pastry, finished with raspberry coulis and pine nuts – a delight. The wine list, predominantly Italian, is impeccable, with an “Owner’s Pick” featuring a superb Puglian red.
With its warm welcome, uncompromising quality and devotion to Italian food, The Carpenter’s Arms is a worthy Restaurant of the Year.
