Hiding behind a modest name, (it translates as “Not Only Pizza”), down an unassuming alleyway, NSP is a grand, well-appointed space, recently refurbished. This is not a little neighbourhood Italian restaurant but a place with style and gravitas. Nevertheless the fare one would expect in any family trattoria is available. We tried an earthy valpolicella (Allegri Valpolicella 05) while the Vin Alto rosé had my partner in raptures – a real taste of Italia – from Clevedon! The wine list had a wide range of Italian and Kiwi wines.
The highlight of the evening was the contorni (appetizers) – we tried marinated ceviche-style fish, mixed fungi, and stuffed artichoke hearts (3 dishes for 19.50) – and even if what was in the filling of the artichokes eluded both us and the waiting staff, it was nevertheless divine. The other two contorni were barely less noteworthy, and even the pizza bread was dripping in flavoursome olive oil.
NSP may serve more than pizza but it is clearly what they do best. The menu listed both traditional and novo pizzas and I went for the former. The Capricciosa (22.5) was superb – a thin crust was not meagrely topped. My partner tried the pasta – the fusilloni with prawns (25.50) was nice if unremarkable. She soon had ‘food envy’ as I inhaled the pizza.
I couldn’t go past the fig, almond and berry strudel (13.50) for “dolci” which was enhanced by amaretto ice cream.
If there are criticisms to level at this pleasant evening they would be the brassy acoustics that made the table seem ever wider as the room filled, and the number of different faces that attended our table. One of the faces however was the manager who was attentive and likeable in the extreme.
NSP has been in Parnell for 12 years. For reasonable prices it provides an Italian dining experience with grandeur and not a gingham tablecloth in sight.