Neil Littman continues his tour of Enfield’s best restaurants with a stop at Zaza

Friends and neighbours who have seen my reviews appear in the Dispatch have asked me a couple of questions about my experiences and I am happy to dispel a few myths.

I pay for the meals and, if I go with company, we split the bill; I don’t tell the restaurants why I am there, though may do afterwards when I give them a couple of complimentary copies of the paper. Reactions are generally positive and I only write about the places I like.

I have also been asked why Enfield doesn’t have any destination restaurants run by celebrity chefs. I am guessing this is simply due to trends in eating. I grew up in Hackney and if you had told me back then it would have some of the best and most innovative dining experiences, I would have laughed.

But personally I think we do have some good places on our doorstep in Enfield. Zaza is one of those that simply gets it right. It is located on the corner of Chase Side and Holtwhites Hill and although it is technically part of a ‘chain’ their formula, if they have one, is good quality ingredients sourced direct from Italy.

We ordered two wines by the glass; a Sauvugnon blanc and Nero D’avola, both were served well chilled. For starters we had goats cheese tart and mezzaluna croccante; pastry shells filled with melting mozzarella and aged Parmesan, sprinkled with crisped rosemary and served with chilli and garlic mayonnaise dip. I may have reluctantly shared one with my dining companion. They were very good and I only narrowly avoided eating them all before I took a photo.

Our main courses were both chicken dishes. Pollo picante, a chicken breast in spicy tomato sauce, and conchigioni pollo, pasta shells filled with minced chicken and herbs, served with rocket and grated parmesan. The portions were good and service was very efficient, although I am not sure how many times it’s advisable to ask if “everything was alright”!

I recommend Zaza as a good place to go for a taste of modern Italian cuisine. The prices are moderate; our bill came to £71 including service. There are also deals at lunch and a special ‘classic Italy’ meal on Tuesday evenings at £28.90 per head for two courses, including a bottle of wine per person.

Booking at weekends is essential. On the Saturday we went, Zaza was only offering two-hour slots, which didn’t feel like enough time to have a leisurely three-course meal. We skipped desserts and had cappuccinos instead, but as compensation I took a photo of the dessert menu and what I saw whizzing past our table looked good, so another visit seems in order.

Zaza at 88-90 Chase Side, Enfield EN2 6NX, is open from 12pm until late every day. To book:
Call 0208 363 6974
Email [email protected]
Visit zaza.co.uk/restaurants/enfield

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