A meal under ground that will leave you dancing on air

BY CHRIS GILL

CELLAR72

High Street, Bedford
There are always moans and groans when I eye up a menu at a restaurant.

You see, a decent, well cooked steak and I seem to court trouble. The problem I have with some eateries is their inability to provide food as the diner (me) would like it.

My record is sending back three burgers (each of which got rarer, the more I asked for them to be cooked).

So what joy to find a menu blessed in choice and with hardly a strip of bully beef in sight.

The family-run Cellar 72 has been in Bedford High Street for a year, and to be honest it is not only me who hadn’t noticed.

The young lady who delivered the four of us top class service with a big smile even admitted she didn’t know it existed until she got the job.

I will come to the food later, but hail a restaurant where no one was on their mobile phone.

No, there wasn’t a ban, simply as the name of the venue would suggest, this cute little eating house is below ground level and there is no signal.

Cellar 72 looks like it might hold around 40 people. Small and intimate, it gives the impression of being much larger thanks to some clever placing of mirrors which help you to reflect on an excellent evening.

Okay, my face fell when I discovered there was no draught beer, but as was pointed out, there was nowhere to keep it. And anyway, we were here for the food.

Starters can always be tricky and price guides rarely allude to what size portions might follow.

Anyway, three of us plumped for the Scampi fritti (one was leaving room for a dessert) and we were not disappointed.

It came neatly presented with a sweet chilli dip on a bed of mixed salad. First thoughts were… ooer, too much. But it fitted the bill perfectly.

Service was spot on – no one bothering us unless we wanted something, and the atmosphere was first class as a birthday party group sang their way through the traditional greeting for a pal.

For the main course two of us opted for Pollo Saltimboca, chicken breast, topped with parma ham and mozzarella in red wine, accompanied by roast potatoes... and more salad.

Aah, that was our fault for not reading the menu carefully. It was succulent, fulfilling and hit the spot.

The girls chose risotto funghi and crespelle vegetariana, oven baked pancake filled with roasted vegetables and mozarrella. Both gave it a huge thumbs up and washed down their meal with a shared bottle of frascati.

Puddings for two arrived, with extra spoons if needed, one a chocolate torte and the other fruits of the forest on a pastry… needless to say the plates were soon cleared.

The bill arrived –at £78 for the four of us including drinks, you cannot quibble with that – top quality at a very reasonable price.

So what did Mr Nightmare make of it? For once I was stuck for words. No complaints from me, only fulsome praise.

They will be seeing me, and I suggest you, again – just pity they couldn’t stop the rain when we stepped outside.

Okay, okay...