As I stepped in and made myself comfortable, I couldn’t help but notice the array of wine bottles on the top shelf. In my Portuguese experience, a restaurant that has an array of wine bottles tends to be a good one.

I was in the restaurant to interview its owner, Max Romano who then kindly insisted I couldn't continue on an empty stomach.

Max's Bar and Brasserie on Oxford Street in Southampton (Image: Max's Bar and Brasserie on Oxford Street in Southampton)

The atmosphere was calm, and with the light music blanket playing in the background you don’t have to whisper when talking to someone else for fear other people will hear you.

When ordering I went for the chicken spaghetti with olives and peppers with a spicy red sauce, or as its name goes cacciatora. Although I’m not a massive spicy food fan, it was just the right level I could tolerate: still, I often had to take a sip of my drink.

Pasta dish (Image: Pasta dish)

Simple and yet full of flavour

The presentation was amazing, the dish came a big plate - there was a good amount of chicken which made me quite happy, and as I grabbed my fork to try the dish it made me realise why I like pasta. The simplicity and yet fullness of flavour of everything in the dish made it a very enjoyable meal.

Some people might not like olives, but the addition of them to the dish, mixing the sweetness of the chilli sauce with the saltiness of the olive just made the experience a lot more enjoyable – I guess that’s why the Italians added it.

In typical fashion, I would roll the spaghetti on my fork before taking about 15 seconds to blow on my food to make sure I didn’t do that awkward thing of breathing in through my mouth as I ate a hot meal.

The true Italian experience

As I drew towards the end of my trip, I couldn’t help but feel full by what seemed to be a rather small dose compared to the giant plate, but fear not as appearances are deceiving: I can assure you that I left the restaurant with a full stomach sigh.

So was it worth it? Absolutely. The food was delicious and the atmosphere was friendly.

It felt professional but not corporate, relaxed but not messy. Overall just the promise of an authentic Italian experience, just like is promised by the owner.

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