Santoni Keighley Review: An Italian Foodie Tour

Santoni Keighley Review – Best Keighley Restaurants – Best Italian Restaurants Yorkshire – 

Santoni Keighley Review: An Italian Foodie Tour

After stumbling across Santoni’s Instagram profile a while back and drooling over their excellent photos of food and drink, it was only a matter of time before we took a trip over to Keighley to sample the goods. Santoni opened over 9 months ago with an aim to bring regional Italian cuisine to the area and showcase some of the best locally sourced ingredients alongside it.
Owner Marco Di Rienzo has a wealth of experience in the trade. Working in family restaurants at a young age before moving to Newcastle to gain more experience within the city’s best Sardinian eateries. Subsequent positions with a leading Italian food importer, followed with a role working closely with Italian vineyards and customers in the UK for Berkmann Wine Cellars of London, has instilled the ethos of only the best ingredients to be showcased at Santoni.
          
Situated just on the outskirts of the town centre and with ample parking, the venue is in a great location for guests near and far. We were welcomed upon entering to a fresh modern feel inside the venue, before taking a seat at the bar with George the Head Bar Man. Again, the ethos shines through to the impressive drinks selection of speciality imported wines and spirits alongside the best local offerings. Keeping it Yorkshire we opted for a Spirit of Bronte “Yorkshire Lass” G&T produced just up the road, together with a delicious blood orange Negroni Spritz served up with the Spirit of Bronte Gin. Upon meeting Marco and his staff, they are so passionate about what they’re offering at Santoni, doing something different for this area of Yorkshire and sticking to it. Something that later shone through in the food and service we received.
Once seated in the restaurant we were absolutely spoilt for choice when attempting to decide what to eat. Starters could not be more impressive. Ranging from seafood, cured meats and antipasto, to arancini and homemade meatballs. After hearing the rave reviews of the arancini from George, I couldn’t resist. First a vegetarian crispy ball filled with smoked scamorza cheese, peas and saffron rice, alongside shin of beef, tomato ragu and melted mozzarella. Accompanied by a spicy arrabbiata sauce. So moreish, I could have eaten about 10 of these.
           
We also decided on the ‘Antipasto Terrone’, meaning south. A huge colourful and fresh selection of salami, fiery nduja topped crostini, smoked scamorza cheese, creamy buffalo mozzarella, roasted peppers, chargrilled courgette and a huge selection of Italian bread. Hands down the best selection of meats and cheeses and all for under £10. Each ingredient on this board had been thought through and was delicious in its own right, from the chargrilled garlic marinated courgette to the most amazing mozzarella which has arrived direct from Naples. Back to the drinks, we opted for a light fruity glass of Montepulciano d’Abruzzo red wine and a really decent bottle of Brewfist ‘La Bassa’ lager from Milan, another great showcase of only the best produce imported from Italy.
          
Onto mains next. Another tough choice ahead with pasta, seafood chargrilled mains and sourdough Neapolitan pizzas. Yet again, a great recommendation from the waiting staff with the seafood linguine. Sicilian red king prawns, mussels, clams and soft tender calamari wrapped in a velvety tomato and white wine sauce, with al dente linguine. Absolute heaven! We couldn’t resist sampling one of their sourdough Neapolitan pizzas. Mixed with a blend of Italian flours this was another masterclass in Italian cooking. Showcasing the very best ingredients and not over complicating them. The Capricciosa pizza with ‘Cotto’ roasted ham, mascarpone, artichokes, mushrooms and olives worked perfectly together. Sat on a bed of freshly squeezed Italian tomato sauce and chewy pizza base. So good.
Last but definitely not least, desserts. Having sampled my fair share of tiramisu over the years this one tops the lot. With a touch of Italian dessert wine thrown in for good measure, the chefs at Santoni took this Italian classic to a whole new level. Our second dessert again another Santoni take on a classic to raise the bar, this time Affogato with imported coconut gelato from Turin. Served with locally roasted Casa Espresso, Baileys and homemade biscotti biscuit.
          
I can’t help but be cheesy when it comes to Santoni. Their Italian ingredients are so good that they take you back to your own food memories, from my honeymoon in Sardinia to eating fresh mozzarella in Florence. If you ever wonder why the food and wines taste so much better on the continent it’s because the French, Spanish and Italians like to keep all the best bits for themselves. Luckily for us, Marco has sourced the finest ingredients from throughout Italy alongside some fabulous Yorkshire produce that makes up the Santoni menu. Together with a fantastic chef from Naples and amazing staff who are not only passionate but to be honest ‘a good laugh’, this Italian restaurant in West Yorkshire is as close as a trip to the beautiful country of Italy without the need for a passport or airfare.
Santoni Osteria
23 Airedale Rd Marley
Keighley
BD21 4LW
01535 601792
Find out more about Santoni Osteria
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Santoni Keighley Review – Best Keighley Restaurants – Best Italian Restaurants Yorkshire