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Her smile was as wide as a Sicilian pizza. Little blonde-haired Anna was thrilled.
It was her fourth birthday and she had her own floor show to prove it. A singing chef with a guitar and a harmonising waitress with tambourine were leading dozens of diners in congratulatory song to mark the event.
Anna's gob smacked expression told the full story – that in this little Headingley bistro, dining is in true Italian style…with and for the family.
Bustling and busily noisy with cheery table chat, Salvo's could have been imported from a Milanese summer street.
Its fabulous aroma hangs thickly over the small bar and cramped little tables – espresso, parmesan, garlic. In the narrow doorway a queue forms, even at early doors.
Salvo's menu is unexpectedly extensive, packed to the bursting with all imaginable pastas, antipastos, specials with an impressive lean towards fresh seafood.
For starters a smoked salmon and potato salad (£4.95) made a hearty intro. Generous slices of delicious salmon draped a fresh salad of potato and vegetables bound in a mild creamy dressing.
Even more hearty was the deep fried mozzarella, perfectly cooked to avoid stringy mess or rubber disaster and with a fruit puree and a garnish salad on the side (£3.95).
Tagliatelle al pollo, teamed fresh egg pasta with tender chicken and wild mushrooms, in a cream and heavily garlic laced sauce (£5.45). Perfect for the loner who doesn't need to socialise for three days.
And for the hungry veggie, Salvo's has a fine choice of imaginative dishes, among them Saltimbocca Melanzane (£6.75) – tender aubergine stuffed with rice, tomato, herbs and cheese.
There are plenty of wines to choose from but they tend towards the pricey side. A Sicilian dry house white at £7.25 was surprisingly pleasant.
Espresso – the proper blow-your-head-off stuff – comes at 95p a cup.
This mega-busy bistro throbs with personality and character. Staff are cheery, keen to please and necessarily noisy. Salvo's is fun with a capital F.
Star ratings
++++ (4)
++++ (4)
++++ (4)
+++++ (5)
+++++ EXCELLENT ++++ VERY GOOD +++ GOOD ++ AVERAGE + POOR
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