It was my father’s birthday, and we were looking for a special restaurant to celebrate. For an event like this, only the best would do, and we needed somewhere he had never been before – ideally a family-run spot with a stellar reputation among the locals.

With that in mind, we settled on Amore in St Ives. Tucked away on The Quay in the heart of town, this popular Italian favourite was established in 2012 by chef-owner Marin, who trained in Puglia and brings over 30 years of culinary experience to the kitchen. Positioned right on the River Great Ouse by the iconic St Ives bridge, the location is hard to beat, boasting picturesque views from both the outdoor seating and the upstairs dining area where we were seated.

The à la carte menu is reassuringly streamlined, sticking to classic Italian starters alongside dedicated pasta, meat, and seafood sections. You will find standout seafood options like Cacciucco di Pesce and Grigliata Mista, giving you that reassuring sign that the kitchen is focusing on doing a smaller selection of dishes well rather than spreading themselves too thin.

On the drinks side, entry-level bottles of wine start at £24.95. I went for a bottle of the house Sangiovese which is a smooth, easy-drinking red packed with juicy redcurrant and raspberry notes that paired really well with the food. I would have liked to see a slightly cheaper entry-level option on the list, but it was by no means absurd for a place like this.

The Food

Moving on to the mains, I opted for the Agnello al Forno – a slow-cooked prime neck of lamb fillet served in a rich red wine, pepper, and mushroom sauce. The lamb was cooked brilliantly, incredibly tender, and fell to pieces at the touch of a fork. The red wine sauce delivered a deep, robust flavour that complemented the dish perfectly, with the mushrooms and peppers adding a lovely extra layer of depth that worked on every level.

My main critique here was the portion size of the sides. The dish came with mixed vegetables and sauté potatoes, but the serving felt a bit stingy, offering only a sparse handful of potatoes and carrots. That said, everything on the plate was cooked on point. I particularly enjoyed the sugar snap peas, which brought a lively crunch and a vibrant pop of colour to the dish. Both my teenage son and I had this dish and were both left feeling just a wee bit unsatisfied, especially for a dish that was £25.

One thing that immediately struck me was the complete lack of a dedicated children’s menu. My wife asked if they could pull together a simple plain pasta dish with Italian sausage for my son. When it arrived, the sausage was nowhere to be seen. Given how hard it was to catch the eye of the floor team, we didn’t manage to get it corrected. With that said, the pasta itself – even served entirely plain – was utterly superb. Even plain, it was soft, thick, and packed with a fresh flavour that really highlighted just how far behind supermarket pasta (even the expensive stuff) actually is. There is no denying the quality of the ingredients at Amore.

Once you have finished your mains, a list of homemade desserts is presented to the table. Priced around £8, the menu features traditional classics like tiramisu and panna cotta. However, because the service was so drawn out and we had a young child who needed his bed, we decided to skip dessert entirely. We parted ways with the table, paid our share of the bill on the way out, and grabbed an ice cream on the walk home instead.

Service & Atmosphere

Unfortunately, the service side of the evening really let the experience down. The floor team were friendly enough when interacting with us, but they were deeply absent throughout the night. We ended up waiting an hour for our main courses, and staff checked on us so infrequently that it was difficult to get anyone’s attention when we needed them.

To top it off, a 10% service charge was automatically added to the bill. Regular readers will know I am not a fan of automatic service charges at the best of times, though I can stomach them when the service is sharp and attentive. On a night where we waited an hour for food and had to skip dessert due to the delay, having it quietly added felt rather presumptuous – and I only spotted it after we had left!

Verdict

Amore has a lot going for it: the riverside location on the Quay is gorgeous, the setting is picturesque, and the quality of their fresh pasta and slow-cooked meats is genuinely impressive. However, the lack of family accommodation and the absent service really took the shine off what should have been a seamless birthday celebration. I can see why it is such a popular location with the locals – especially since both comparable towns like Huntingdon and Ely don’t have their own authentic and independently run Italian – but I recommend visiting on a quieter evening.

Thanks for reading!