Monna Lisa, Luton Review

Good Points
Friendly staff, pleasant atmosphere

Bad Points
Food overcooked/uninspiring

General Comments
Monna Lisa - I love Italian food, and I had high hopes for this traditional-looking restaurant. The prices were comparable to other Italian restaurants in the area.



Starters:

Asparagi tricolore (asparagus with bechamel and tomato sauces)

Calamari



Main:

Spaghetti with clams in tomato sauce

Veal escalope with proscuitto



The asparagus was so over-cooked I could have mashed it, and the sauces were very sparse. The calamari was a little chewy but not too bad.



The spaghetti was unexceptional but reasonable. The veal looked like a Findus Crispy Pancake and tasted like something out of a packet. If it was proscuitto, it didn't taste like it.



The house white wine was decent enough, but we didn't risk the coffee.



We missed the finer details of Italian dining - instead of olive oil or balsamic vinegar with our bread we were given butter portions (straight from the fridge, and unspreadable) The staff were extremely pleasant and helpful, but I can only assume the chef has never eaten in an Italian restaurant, let alone been to Italy.