My review of ‘Southampton’s best restaurant’ Figurati

But more often than not, the busy nature of my job means I cannot make the most of the dining opportunities just a stone’s throw away from my desk.

This changed last week when I was invited to dine at Figurati, the Italian restaurant named Southampton’s best for a second year in a row.

(Image: Newsquest)

After I wrote about the restaurant scooping the accolade at the British Restaurant Awards, an invite landed in my inbox.

Excited and intrigued I quickly accepted, and my colleague James and I headed over to see if the popular restaurant was worth the hype.

Although we dined on a Monday night, the restaurant quickly filled up with people of all ages, clearly showing that it appeals to a wide and diverse audience.

The ambience was lovely, and our waitress was fantastic. She was happy to answer any questions and was very attentive, even as the restaurant filled up with more people.

As a non-alcohol drinker (hold the collective gasp, I know it’s shocking for a journalist) I was pleased to see some exciting alcohol-free cocktails.

I opted for the elderflower and apple spritz, made with apple juice, elderflower cordial, lemonade, and sugar syrup.

Meanwhile James, more of a journalistic stereotype in this respect, started strong with an Aperol Spritz before sampling the alcohol-free strawberry lemonade, of which he both enjoyed.

The elderflower and apple spritz and Aperol Spritz (Image: Newsquest) Once our drinks arrived, we had ample time to peruse the menu. But I did not need ample time, as the vegetarian and vegan options are very limited.

I knew that being an Italian restaurant, the majority of the dishes would contain meat (which is completely fine) but I was hoping for more variety.

Earlier in the day when I decided to have a cheeky preview at the menu, I had my heart set on the Rigatoni pasta with New Forest wild mushrooms.

But our lovely waitress informed me that the dish wasn't vegetarian, as the Parmesan contained animal rennet. And this was the case for several of the dishes marked with a V*.

Determined not to be deterred by this setback, I started with the bruschetta.

Grilled focaccia topped with deliciously juicy tomatoes, basil, confit garlic, and Isle of Wight tomato balsamic, this starter made a good first impression.

Feeling bolstered by this success, I ordered the Insalata Verde (broccolini, peas, broad beans, toasted almonds, watercress and crema di insalata) to accompany the Funghi pizza (£16) James and I were to share.

And to push the boat out, I ordered the aubergine fries. Curiosity got the better of me (but also the Figurati Fries are coated in Parmesan, so was another no go).

The three salads on the menu can be ordered as a side or a main, priced differently depending on size.

My salad (£8 or £14) was flavoursome and a ‘proper green salad’, the sort you would try and recreate at home but with little success.

Our starters at Figurati (Image: Newsquest) Moving on to the pizza, I had high expectations.

Pizza is an Italian’s restaurant’s bread and butter - well, bread and toppings - and I was ready to be impressed.

But sadly, my hopes were dashed. It was tasty and the inclusion of both chestnut and porcini mushrooms was a great decision by the chef, but it wasn’t memorable.

It didn’t feel unique to Figurati; I felt like I had eaten the same pizza somewhere else.

READ MORE: I tried all the cuisines at Cosmo and ranked them: here's what came out on top

For me, being crowned the best in a city means you have that ‘je ne sais quoi’ quality and are miles apart from the rest, yet I did not feel that way.

Thankfully, the aubergine fries saved the day.

Although calling them fries does not do them justice, they were more like wedges! Unlike anything I have eaten before, I thoroughly enjoyed this side dish.

The Figurati fries, Aubergine fries, Funghi pizza and Insalata Verde (Image: Newsquest)

Feeling rather full, we still ploughed on to dessert.

I indulged in the Figurati Rocher (£12) – a decadent and rich dessert made with dark chocolate delice, hazelnut ganache, wafer, toasted hazelnut, chocolate and roasted hazelnut gelato.

There was a hint of fruit in there too, which was a welcome addition to the chocolate-heavy dessert.

This is the dish I was looking for: the dish that sets Figurati apart from the rest.

It was beautifully constructed and thrilled this dark chocolate lover to no end.

Figurati Rocher and Tiramisu (Image: Newsquest)

Would I return to Figurati? I’m unsure.

The staff were faultless and are, I’m sure, one of the main reasons for the restaurant’s recent win.

But for the price you pay I cannot confidently say I was sufficiently wowed, apart from during dessert.

Perhaps a trip just for dessert is in order…

James' review

The octopus starter with garlic aioli and potatoes steeped in golden olive oil almost transported me to a tapas bar in Spain (almost - we’re still in Southampton after all).

Tender and sweet on the inside with a slight char on the outside, it was cooked to perfection.

The carbonara fritti - imagine arancini with pasta instead of rice - was a fun texture and tasty to boot, although it could have done with a sharp or tangy sauce to cut through the richness.

The lobster pasta dish, featured on the specials menu, was decadent, with large chunks of meat tossed through glistening strands rather than the meagre morsels you often get that disappear into the sauce - but it could have done with cranking the chilli up a notch for my taste.

I felt conflicted about my tiramisu for pudding: for once seeing a dish in a ‘constructed’ form rather than ‘deconstructed’ was a disappointment.

I was hoping for a bowlful of coffee dredged, creamy, messy goodness, rather than a beautifully-laid out cake with stylish ribbons of mascarpone cream and artful dustings of pistachio.

Like everything in life, it needed more cream and more coffee; as a cake it was a winner, and admittedly delicious, but that’s not what I thought I was ordering.

That being said, the staff were fantastic, the ambience was great and I'd certainly come back again.