A Ray Of Sardinian Sunshine

As a firm family favourite of mine, I recently decided to treat the family to a Friday evening of fine food & drink at Sabatini.

From its prime riverbank location, Sabatini is owned and managed by restauranteur Fabrizio Saba and his family. The restaurant, which plays big brother to fellow Italian frontrunner Fratelli (Ponteland), has operated on Newcastle Quayside for over 25 years, yet continues to offer a unique and innovative approach to Italian cuisine.

After a quick livener in the venue’s adjacent Signor Italian cocktail bar, we arrived at the restaurant. Since our last visit, the chic dining area has been stylishly refurbished with chocolate brown walls, floor to ceiling mirrors and exposed filament bulbs combining to create a sophisticated and contemporary space. The convivial atmosphere is coupled in the venue’s warm hospitality. It had been a little while since my previous visit, yet the staff remained friendly and attentive with impeccable service throughout.

There’s myriad choice available at Sabatini as the eatery combines authentic Sardinian dishes with funky happy hour fare. Showcasing traditional Sardinian cooking methods, flavours such as ricotta, salami and ham are all in abundance and combine to make some tasty specialities. Larger parties can even enjoy the roast suckling pig, a sweet, unique dish accompanied by traditional Sardinian trimmings. Despite providing only the finest cuisine, happy hour at Sabatini also offers fantastic prices with pizza/pasta dishes available daily from £7.

Of course, great cooking like this demands an excellent Italian red wine. Kicking off proceedings with a bottle of Barbera d’Asti, we tucked into our delicious starters with gusto. As a die-hard chilli fanatic, I was delighted by the gamberoni soaked in a zingy arrabiata sauce, whilst my son Jack enjoyed the king prawns coated in a tasty garlic butter. Meanwhile, my wife Lisa devoured the Bruschetta Mista, which offered a taste of Sardinia with toasted bread, spicy salami and traditional Sardinian pecorino cheese.

Whilst offering the usual pizza/pasta favourites, Sabatini also provides some standout meat dishes. The restaurant allows you to choose your desired meat and sauce individually, fusing them together to make some exquisite combinations. Jack savoured the succulent fillet steak ‘al pepe’ whilst Lisa sampled the delightful pan-fried salmon served with green olives, capers and plump vine tomatoes.

I meanwhile opted for traditional Italian fare with the seafood spaghetti. A tasty fusion of prawns, calamari and mussels tossed in a piquant garlic and tomato sauce, the dish certainly got the taste-buds tingling.

Feeling replete, we settled on coffees and liqueurs over desserts although next time we will be sure to sample the restaurant’s authentic selection of Italian sweet treats which includes Cannolis, Sfogliatella and Tiramisu.

Due to the emergence of so much competition in recent years, it’s a real testament to Fabrizio and his team that Sabatini remains one of the region’s premier Italian restaurants. With innovative cuisine, luxury dining and excellent hospitality, Sabatini really does bring a ray of Sardinian sunshine to the bleak midwinter.