Rushden Lakes in Northampton is a real gem in East Northamptonshire and has created a real shopping spot in the county. Recently I was invited down to the Rushden Lakes festival which celebrated it’s 2 year anniversary. Since opening the shopping centre is full of shops, activities and food outlets. As part of the festival I was invited to try out Zizzi’s for lunch which I hadn’t been to in years.
The restaurant is an Italian kitchen serving not only a selection of pizzas and pastas but also grilled dishes, salads and a selection of fantastic sides and starters. Dining at Zizzi’s was a real surprise. I won’t deny that I would normally pick an independent over a chain any day but sometimes chains are convenient and when the service is as good as the Rushden Lakes store then it’s worth it.
We went with Dan’s brother so it made for a great lunch outing. We did massively struggle with parking which is the main fault of the shopping centre but there’s not much that can be done – always a good sign to be busy.
Starters
The staff were attentive and welcoming which from experience can be hard to find in some chains. We went for a real selection. First up was the starters – as we were out as a group we went for the antipasti – this contained Coppa ham, Spianata Piccante salami, speck, smoked scamorza cheese, creamy bufala mozzarella, mixed olives, tomato & pesto crostini, our ‘little soul’ breads, rocket & riserva cheese salad, smoked chilli dip.
I’m a big fan of sharing boards, I love trying a bit of everything and this really did have it all. I LOVE buffalo mozzarella so this was such a treat and really soft – perfect with the meats. The boys also tucked into some olives, nocaellara gigantic olives to be precise. High praise all round for all of these nibbles.
Mains
For mains, it was a real tough choice, they have such an extensive menu. I went for the skinny gamberone and chorizo pizza. This meant it was a half pizza with salad side. A lighter option and perfect for lunchtimes. I loved the prawn combination as these were large and tasty. The base was thin – just how I like it and cooked to perfection. These pizzas are only 600 kcal and come with baby gem, red chicory and courgette with tomatoes.
Dan went for the crab cannelloni al forno which was a white crab and ricotta pasta with lobster butter sauce and a hint of brandy. He isn’t normally a ‘eat pasta out’ kind of guy but he loved this and enjoyed the cannelloni as we never use that at home to cook.
Dan’s brother went for the wild boar meatballs al forno with was a boar and pork meatball with pomodoro sauce and a touch of chilli. Both said they loved their dishes and enjoyed the pasta and the sauces they were in. We could see our dishes being cooked from the open kitchen which we sat next to. It looked like a well run kitchen.
We didn’t have space for dessert but we enjoyed the drinks we had especially. The mocktails were delicious and there was a fantastic choice – something I really enjoy.
Final thoughts..
Whilst Zizzi’s has never been on my radar recently, I really enjoyed the chilled vibe I got here. I would definitely choose it over Prezzo and I liked that there was such a great choice for all tastes even with the pizza options. Yes Zizzi’s is a chain but it’s a great option when feeding the whole family and I really appreciated the great service and of course the food. It was all made in front of our eyes so it was fresh to order within the pizza ovens.
Food was given complimentary in return for a review/coverage of the festival. See more food reviews here.