Tony Macaroni, St Andrews (4/5)

By Mystery diner

June 22 2016, 12:00pm

What is it?

Part of the successful chain of Italian-themed restaurants, the St Andrews branch of Tony Macaroni opened last year and is popular with the student population and families alike.

First impressions?

A large, two storey restaurant with a traditional Italian vibe to the décor, it had a nice buzz for a Friday lunchtime.We were greeted by a friendly waitress who showed us to a table and provided two highchairs for the wee ones.

What did you have?

We shared a portion of calamari fritti (£6.95) to start. Then Dad chose the Boscaiola pizza (£5.20)from the Presto menu, Mum opted for the linguini salmone (£10.95) from the extensive a la carte selection and the little man had a ham and olive pizza from the kids’ menu (£4.95 including a drink and ice-cream). With two soft drinks the total bill was £33.

Much of a wait?

No, everything arrived very promptly and the waiter asked if we would like the kids’ meal brought along with our starter, which meant that there weren’t any hungry kids waiting for their lunch.

How was the food?

The food was pretty good and the portions were enormous! The kids’ pizza would easily have served an adult but was happily devoured by a hungry three-year-old and his baby sister. Mum’s pasta was also a hearty portion and came in a very rich creamy sauce so was a bit too much to finish. Dad’s pizza was very large and although the base, Italian sausage and wild mushrooms were lovely, there was a lot of cheese on top, which made it a bit stodgy. The calamari were the stars of the show, tasty and perfectly cooked in crispy batter. The kids meal included a soft drink and ice-cream from Nardini’s, which is just around the corner.

Good for children?

The set-up is perfect for families and young children. There are separate kids menus which include colouring sheets to keep little fingers busy. High chairs, changing facilities are available and there is lots of room for a pram.