We visited La Trattoria in Malton last night, having booked a table for two on Saturday evening. The restaurant was very busy, but they were able to seat us an hour after our initial call to enquire, which we appreciated. We were more than happy to head elsewhere for a drink in the meantime, so this worked well for us.
On arrival, the service was friendly and welcoming. The menu was a real highlight, full of great, interesting, and slightly surprising choices. Having visited many Italian restaurants where the menus can feel very similar, this was refreshing.
We ordered a bread selection to arrive as an appetiser while our mains were being prepared. After around 15 minutes, I chased this up with the waiter, who assured me it was on its way. Another 10 minutes passed, so I went to the bar to speak to the manager, explaining that if it arrived much later it would come out with the mains and defeat the purpose of ordering it as a nibble. She explained that the breads were warmed in the oven and wouldn’t take precedence over pizzas that other tables had ordered for main. While I understand a busy kitchen, surely there’s a more effective or speedy way of serving bread. Thankfully, another five minutes later the bread arrived. It was genuinely lovely, and the balsamic was sweet and delicious - although by that point I’d have eaten almost anything.
The mains followed shortly after, and they were outstanding. We had a pasta dish and a risotto, both of which were sensational and easily the standout of our visit.
After our plates were cleared, we ordered another round of bottled Diet Cokes. These were brought over by the manager, along with glasses and ice. Unfortunately, the glasses were hot straight out of the dishwasher. This was disappointing, particularly as it’s the kind of oversight you might expect from a novice teenage waiter rather than a manager. While I appreciate glasses may have been in short supply due to the number of diners, they should at least have been run under cold water before being served.
After a short break, we ordered ice cream for dessert, which was enjoyable - although you can’t really get ice cream wrong.
When we later asked for the bill, the waiter brought it over and immediately asked whether we were paying cash or card. At that point we hadn’t even had a chance to look at it, which felt premature. It was around 9pm and the restaurant was starting to quieten down, so we weren’t sure what the rush was. We asked him to give us a moment while we checked the bill.
Overall, I would recommend La Trattoria for the food - it’s excellent, and the restaurant has the potential to be a real gem. However, aspects of the service and timing did let down what could otherwise have been a fantastic visit.
