Ely’s food scene is thriving, boasting a diverse selection of interesting restaurants with dishes from across the globe. However, it has historically lacked certain rudimentary options that you would expect from any other city or town of a similar size. Most notably, a traditional Chinese and an Italian restaurant.

Last year, locals prayers were answered with the opening of Mangiare, situated in the Ely Leisure Park next to the cinema. This independent Italian restaurant is from the same well-regarded team behind the Mangiare’s in Newmarket.

The Restaurant

The restaurant, being part of a leisure park, is large, clean, and spacious with a relaxed atmosphere. While some might find it a little sterile, I think it manages to retain its character, particularly around the bar. The entire east-facing wall is made of glass, which floods the space with natural light and gives the restaurant an airy feel. There’s also plenty of outdoor seating, which is perfect for enjoying the fantastic summer weather we have been having.

The Menu

The menu is extensive, offering a great deal of customisation. The pizza section is large and includes a ‘build your own’ option, and there is also a wide variety of pasta dishes where you can choose your preferred type of pasta for each dish. I also noticed a children’s menu for £8.50, which includes pizza, garlic bread, and a dessert. There is a smaller list of specials, salads, and sides available as well. Overall, the prices were a little higher than I had anticipated but this suggested quality to come.

We were also given a complimentary bowl of olives. While they weren’t particularly spectacular, they were a nice touch, and being pitted made them easy to enjoy.

N’duja Burrata

I cannot resist a bit of spice with my meal and absolutely love creamy pasta, so the ‘N’duja Burrata’ was an easy choice for me. N’duja is a spicy Italian sausage meat that adds a real kick to anything it touches and the burrata comes in the form of a creamy buffalo mozzarella.  I used my pasta choice from the menu to pick rigatoni pasta with the dish.

The dish wasn’t quite what I had imagined in my head. The mozzarella was served in dollops around the plate rather than as a thick, cheesy sauce coating the pasta. While the flavour of the n’duja was present, it wasn’t as prominent as I had hoped. I like a really strong n’duja slap, so I was left feeling a little flat.

With that said, that is nothing a little parmesan cheese couldn’t solve! Voila! 🤣

Cesar Salad

The Caesar Salad was a decent choice, with salad leaves tossed in a dressing alongside cherry tomatoes, large crunchy croutons, and Grana Padano cheese. It all combined into a delicious and refreshing salad that had me eagerly devouring it. Top marks!

Pollo Al Forno

My wife’s dish, the Pollo Al Forno, looked absolutely superb. It consisted of grilled chicken topped with Speck (a type of cured meat), tomato sauce, and mozzarella, all served with new potatoes and rocket. It was a well-balanced, wholesome meal, neatly presented on a charcoal plate that really looked the part. The chicken and Speck worked well together, creating a complex flavour, and the melted mozzarella added a lovely gooey texture. My wife said it was well-executed and a step above what you might expect at a leisure park, though it might not be a dish that can inspire seasoned foodies or Italian puritans. 

Tiramisu

You can’t go to an Italian restaurant without trying the tiramisu, and I am so glad I did. It was a good-sized portion, attractively garnished with a dusting of powdered sugar. The dessert had a noticeable sweetness, a soft, creamy yet spongy texture, and a delicate coffee aftertaste. Lovely!

The kids menu (£8.50)

I will spare you the photo of the utter carnage on my two-year-old’s side of the table but I was genuinely impressed with his £8.50 meal. He ordered a stone-baked Hawaiian pizza from their wood-fired oven. The result was a soft, fluffy base of a generous size, which made it a great option for children well up to 10 or 11 years old. I couldn’t help but wonder where I should have ordered the pizza myself? 🤔

The garlic bread was, of course, a winner, and his ice cream dessert resulted in a solid four minutes of silence – which speaks for itself. All in all, I thought it was an excellent deal and one to consider for parents in the summer holidays.

A slice of Italy

The restaurant is a welcome and worthy addition to Ely’s expanding dining scene. The city has needed a proper Italian spot for some time, and this one, with its friendly and accommodating atmosphere, is perfectly positioned to please a wide variety of customers, especially families. The staff were fantastic throughout our visit, and their warmth was particularly apparent in the kind attention they gave my toddler.
While I was slightly taken aback by the final bill—which seemed high for a meal at a leisure park for two and a half people—the food was a noticeable cut above the rest of the leisure park.

Both Arbuckles and Mangiare’s have two locally based restaurants each, meaning the Ely Leisure Park is no longer a place exclusively for big chains – things are looking up!

Thanks for reading