La Galleria

In the oh-so-English town of Woodstock, you'll find a little corner of Sardinia. Tucked in between the Cotswold stone shop-fronts and ivy-covered pubs stands La Galleria: a restaurant with a menu full of traditional Italian cooking; the perfect antidote to all those pizza and pasta chains.

Peeking in through the window on a Saturday evening, it may have looked a little like a living room circa 1990 (modern and minimalist La Galleria is not), but it was a living room packed with guests. Opened by Sardinian Lucio in the 1990s (perhaps explaining the decor), the restaurant is popular with both locals and visitors to Woodstock. Taking our seat at the last available table, we took in our surroundings: intimate and smart yet relaxed. The size of La Galleria helps to create a convivial atmosphere, with conversations starting up between diners at different tables as the evening progressed.

Nibbling on hunks of warm bread and sipping a far-too-drinkable glass of Sardinian Sauvignon Blanc, N and I perused our dining options. The menu begins with a selection of classic appetizers, from £5.95 for a soup to £9.50 for the calamari fritti, served with an intriguing-sounding tomato, garlic and avocado salsa. In true Italian style, the pasta and risotto selections are available both as smaller portions (£8.95) for those who want to continue their meal with some meat or fish, and in main course portions (£2 extra). All tastes are covered by the pastas, with a number of vegetarian options, as well as a nod to the owner's roots with the Sardinian malloredos pasta served with spicy sausage, broccoli, tomato and pecorino. I was pleased to note that risotto is made from scratch, but this unfortunately means that at least 2 diners must order it to make the preparation worthwhile. Next up are a selection of fish and meat options, with the latter particularly well represented: carnivores will have trouble choosing between dishes such as pollo alla salvia (boneless chicken cooked in white wine and wrapped in bacon and sage, £13.50) and spiedini di manzo kashis (baked slices of beef tenderloin skewered with onions, mushroom and peppers in a garlic sauce, £16.95).

Crab linguine

Mamma Mia

In hindsight, taking a group of people currently resident in Florence to an Italian restaurant in Oxford probably wasn't my most inspired idea. We Brits may have taken Italian cuisine to our hearts and annexed its deliciousness, treasuring it almost as much as a Sunday roast, but that doesn't necessarily mean that our offerings will compare with Tuscan fare. In this tale, they certainly don't.

The evening didn't start well. That's a lie: it started far too well. One happy hour cocktail in the Duke of Cambridge led to another and soon my protesting stomach was warning me that it was already 7.30pm. Our original desitination, Branca, was packed, so we tried our luck at Walton Street's other Italian, Mamma Mia. The second branch of the popular Summertown pizzeria, this welcoming spot has been open a couple of years. It's smart and inviting, with cheery decor and friendly staff.

If you're in the mood for pasta or pizza, Mamma Mia is the place to be. If you're not feeling the 'Italian foodsuffs beginning with p' vibe, you'd do well to give it a miss. Although the antipasti are traditionally Italian, in the rustic 'what nonna used to make' vein, the rest of the menu is limited to wheaty treats and salad. The antipasti are worth more than a glance: simple, rustic-sounding starters including baked goat's cheese with fresh tomatoes on ciabatta come in at around £4.95. If you want a double dose of wheat (or have a small appetite), you can also opt for a starter-size pasta portion. The rest of the menu is reasonably priced, with a decent selection of pasta and pizza options from the standard (margherita, £6.75 and spaghetti puttanesca, £8.55) to the more interesting (goat's cheese, spinach and red onion pizza, £8.55, or rigatoni with smoked salmon in a cream and dill sauce, £8.95). If you fancy a bit more of grandma's traditional cooking though, you won't find it on Mamma Mia's menu.


The Italian contingent (who were actually Brazilian, English and French, but let's not complicate an already tricky situation) didn't have much appetite after their lunchtime fish and chip feast, so they opted for antipasti or to share plates of pizza. Y's baked goat's cheese on toast went down a treat, while N and D enjoyed their baked mozzarella wrapped in aubergine and parma ham (£5.95), praising its creamy texture and combination of flavours.

Whitebait & baked mozzarella

The whitebait (£4.95) was described as 'decent', but their Mediterranean pizza (topped with smoked chicken, chorizo, red onion and capers, £8.95) didn't receive many compliments. The base was a little underdone, the crust far from crispy (as the Florence-dwellers have come to expect) - this surprised me, as I remembered the pizza at Mamma Mia's South Parade branch being excellent. The Brazilians were similarly underwhelmed with their pizza.

La Cucina

Nowhere in Oxford divides opinion like La Cucina. Having heard everything from raves to rubbishing (with a bit of indifference in between), I decided it was time to check out one of the city's most talked about Italian restaurants.

After two of my foodie friends revealed they'd both been impressed by La Cucina, my expectations were pretty high. And the pressure was on: after meeting fellow writers Katy and Krista on the Travel Belles trip to Italy in September, I decided an Italian restaurant was the ideal venue for our recent Oxford get-together. If Oxford's offerings couldn't compare to the feast we had over several days in Vogogna, my neck would be on the line.

Stepping inside, I was reassured to see that the restaurant was already reasonably busy despite it being early on a Wednesday evening. The interior is smart with a few rustic touches: varnished wooden tables with a few decorative items such as copper pans brightening up the dining area, which extends beyond the bar into a larger room.  We were greeted and seated by a friendly waitress, who talked us through the numerous specials.

The main menu reads like a list of Italian home-cooking at its best. First up are plenty of tempting-sounding starters (such as funghi con scamorza; baked field mushrooms topped with smoked cheese and herby breadcrumbs, £5.95) and salads available in either starter or main course portions (£2.50 supplement). Pastas and pizzas (cooked in the wood-fired oven) are both reasonably priced: just £6.95 for the cheapest pasta dish and £5.95 for a margherita. It didn't sound like there would be any compromise on the ingredients, though, with options including pappardelle with a rich duck and red wine sauce and pizza topped with asparagus and a free-range egg all stimulating our appetites. In addition to these wheat-based mains, there are a number of risottos on offer, as well as a selection of meat and fish dishes. More unusually for Oxford, pizze bianche (white pizzas) also feature on La Cucina's menu. They may lack the usual tomato topping, but promise to pack a punch with toppings including goat's cheese, sundried tomatoes, spinach and red onion.

Atomic Pizza has landed

It's not every day you get to dine with the Simpson family. On Tuesday 20 September, I and 129 other lucky golden ticket holders got to chow down with Marge, Homer and the kids (plus Gordon the gopher and Han Solo, among others) at the opening party of Atomic Pizza.

Given that the retro-themed joy that is Atomic Burger often has queues of eager would-be diners outside its door, it's little wonder that the team behind this Cowley Road institution decided to transform their former pizzeria (Fratellis) with the atomic touch. Located at number 247, it's just a shade too far down East Oxford's busiest street to attract much passing trade, and many restaurants might struggle in such a position. Somehow, I think Atomic Pizza will do just fine, if the enthusiasm at the launch party was anything to go by.

With a bigger canvas to play with, the owners have given their penchant for TV-themed nostalgia free rein: the Simpsons greet you by the door, Buffy pops up in a corner trying to make an emergency call from Dr Who's tardis, while Spiderman surveys the scene in the main dining room. With a lighter colour scheme, fun touches adorning over the walls and a black and white check floor, the feel is classic American diner.

And what about the food? I must admit, when I first checked out the menu I wasn't sure that some of the more inventive creations would work: after all, what tastes good on a burger might not make such a fantastic pizza topping. Rather than a traditional Italian feel, the starters hit an American note: nachos, buffalo wings and 'tater tots' as well as garlic bread and calamari rings. Die-hard Atomic fans will be glad to know that burgers also make an appearance on the menu, along with other non-pizza mains including a Philly cheese steak sandwich.

At the launch party, it was all about the stonebaked stuff, though. We positioned ourselves near the kitchen for maximum pizza potential. The first pizza out was a Tony Stark: steak, bacon, pepperoni and chicken on a mozzarella and tomato base. The verdict on this meat feast? Very tasty, B assured me. Also popular was the He-Man (barbecue pulled pork). I can vouch for the vegetarian offerings: the Popeye (spinach, goat's cheese, sun-dried tomato, red onion and olive) and the Dr Manhattan (blue cheese, artichoke, rocket and parmesan) were big hits with my tastebuds. I was somewhat sceptical about both the Hell Boy (refried beans, red onion, hot sauce and jalapenos) and the veggie Cheech and Chong (veggie chilli, nachos and jalapenos), but both were far less strange than I expected, with an interesting and memorable flavour. I can see crisps on a pizza being a big hit with the more youthful customers, but I think I'll stick with the Dr Manhattan.

If you're familiar with Atomic Burger, you'll have heard of the Godzilla Challenge: 60 minutes to consume an obscene amount of obscenely spicy food. As expected, the challenge has extended to Atomic Pizza, and we were 'fortunate' enough to be among the first to try this hellishly hot creation. With their secret recipe Godzilla sauce and plenty of jalapenos, it looked inocuous enough, but after 2 bites my lips and the roof of my mouth would have happily welcomed a visit from the fire brigade. Some might like it hot, but I think my limit's a Hell Boy.

With a choice of bases (thin, thick or calzone style - I preferred the lovely, light and crisp thin base) and enough toppings to keep even the most adventurous diners happy, there's something for everyone on the menu. Vegetarians are well catered for, and gluten free pizza bases are also available. With the same fun atmosphere as Atomic Burger and a varied, competitively priced menu (all pizzas are under £10), I think the Atomic team are on to another winner. I can't wait to pop back for another Dr Manhattan with the Simpsons.

Atomic Pizza is at 247 Cowley Road. Tel: 01865 248200.

Mario's

On a dismal and rainy night in June, when you'd quite like to be sunning yourself in foreign climes or at least polishing off a Pimms in a beer garden, a bit of comfort food is in order. And when it comes to comfort, there's nothing like a big carbohydrate hit, Italian style.

Behind an unassuming front on Cowley Road, Mario's is a basic little restaurant where the focus is squarely on food, not frills. Checked paper table cloths and laminated menus set the scene, but don't be fooled: the pasta and pizza are pure quality.

Starters are surprisingly expensive, from a hefty £3.70 for a dish of olives* to £8.80 for a mixed antipasti plate, so we skipped ahead to the mains. With a wide variety of pizzas from £6.30 upwards, plenty of pasta choices, a few risottos and some meaty specials, Mario's has all the classics covered. Vegetarian dishes are awarded their own menu section, and there are even a few vegan options listed. I took refuge in a huge plate of penne sciue sciue (with aubergine, tomato, mozzarella and basil, £7.80), while C opted for a pizza Shanita (with mozzarella, spicy beef, peppers and onions, £9.30) and D chose a steak from the specials (£9.30). Within ten minutes of our food arriving, there were 3 empty plates on the table.

My pasta dish was simple but delicious, the addition of just the right amount of cheese contributing flavour without weighing it down. C's plateful of pizza was cooked in the wood-fired oven visible at the front of the restaurant, its base perfectly thin and its crust slightly fluffy. D's steak met his exacting, raised-in-Central-America criteria - the meat was excellent quality, tender, and cooked as requested. He even went so far as to pronounce the golden, slightly crispy chips some of the best he's tasted on English shores.

With efficient service and excellent quality home cooking, Mario's is a winner. It's not as cheap as I remember it (and some of the starters could perhaps do with a price reassessment), but for the quality and taste of the dishes on offer, it's more than worth it.

Mario's is at 103 Cowley Road, OX4 1HU. Take away available. Booking recommended at weekends. Tel: 01865 722955.

* Is it that I've just got back from Spain or is that a ridiculous price for olives?