It is no secret that I am a big fan of Limoncello. I would absolutely kill for something like this in the Ely or St Ives area, especially after I popped by last year and was really taken by the quality of the entire experience.

It also has a good reputation on the Cambridge Foodies. I have never heard a bad word about it, not once. So, I was expecting more of the same again on my return.

Limoncello is a family run Italian deli with a louvred roof gazebo in the back for alfresco dining. It is filled with high quality Italian products from olives, meats, pastas, and coffee for casual shoppers but it is their menu where they really shine.

I was initially attracted to their pizza for my “Simon’s Quest” pizza blog but the menu also has an anti pasti selection, salads, ciabattas (Italian sandwiches), pasta, and desserts.

I grabbed myself a Sanpellegrino lemon while I studied the menu and soaked in the surroundings. The restaurant is small but filled with character and charm. Walking in from the busting concrete jungle which is Mill Road, you feel like you are stepping through a portal and suddenly appearing in Italy.

Prices are towards the higher end of the spectrum but once you understand the work that goes into sourcing the ingredients, you understand why. Everything at Limoncello has been carefully selected, mostly from Italy. In fact, you can trace a lot of ingredients to its exact location.

Antipasti

We started with an antipasti board which came with a spread of cured meats and cheeses.  Everything here is cut fresh daily from their deli, you don’t get much better than that!

I also had the antipasti board on my last visit, as it is a great way of sampling the quality of different products from a restaurant in one dish. Needless to say, I was a fan of it then and I am a big fan of it now. The deli meats were incredible but the cheeses (especially the Burrata) were smooth and mild.

I am a big fan of focaccia and often order it at the Ely market on weekends for a little treat but the stuff from Limoncello is on another level. The bread was presented in a charming wicker basket and pre-cut into slices. It was soft with a crispy crust and lightly drizzled with olive oil for some added flavour and texture. It perfectly accompanied the cheese and meats and acted as a nice filler that made the antipasti board a completely balanced meal.

Pizzas

After my trip to Al Pomodoro, I fell in love with a spicy pizza called Diavola or “devils pizza”. It is known for its fiery flavour with salami, n’duja, and chillies.

Limoncello’s take on this pizza is stone baked and made with “00” pizza dough which is then topped off with spicy Calabrian n’duja, pepperoni & spianata.

The pizza comes to £17.45. This is near the top of the price spectrum on pizzas but I kept reminding myself that all that lovely pepperoni and n’duja is going to be coming from their own deli.

They didn’t disappoint with the pepperoni and spianata. Both were excellent and really jumped off the pizza. I found a n’duja a little absent but the pizza base was nice and crispy…as a thin base pizza should be! I would have liked more action towards the edge of the pizza, as it felt a little dry towards the edges. I would recommend some dip to manage the crust for anyone visiting, as I found myself wasting the crusts.

Limoncello takes pride in their gluten free bases and claims to have some of the best gluten free bases of any pizza. The pizza actually looked better than my non gluten free one and I have to say, from my limited experience with gluten free pizza, I agree with them! It was soft and crisp with a nice light colour. The pizza held itself together well, which is often a problem with gluten free bases. The pizza was filled from edge and edge, making it a well executed all round pizza.

Cocktails and desserts

Limoncello offers a wide selection from their Digestif and Cocktail menu. This perfectly compliments the louvred roof gazebo in the back for that alfresco dining experience. Imagine early evenings in the summer (which are soon approaching) with one of these. I’m already making plans to return for this 😂

I was tempted by the Limoncello (as it is plastered across their sign out the front) but I couldn’t resist the sound of the Nutty Affogato from the cocktail menu. This is a frangelico coffee that is beautifully presented in a cocktail glass with a dark body and a frothy top. This is then signed off with a dollop of vanilla gelato and a biscuit.

This rich coffee flavour and creamy texture was clearly something to be savoured, so it felt a little wasted on someone like me, who lacks the capacity to enjoy something slowly. But even with someone as cavalier as myself, I could appreciate the quality of each individual ingredient that combined into an elegant experience greater than the sum of each individual part. It was sublime.

After that, I picked up some ingredients and decided to head home. Check out the video below to see what I did with the pasta and n’duja below 👇

Conclusion

Limoncello offers a surprising amount for such a small place. It isn’t just a restaurant but a cafe, cocktails, ice cream, and a place to do your shopping. You can visit without having to worry about quality, as if it doesn’t meet the mark here, it simply isn’t sold. Both my pasta and n’duja ended up making an incredible dish and now has been challenging my pasta shopping habits entirely. Not many restaurants have been returning doing that.

Thanks for reading!