Reviewed
30/7/03

Gino's is a small, buzzing, family-run restaurant on Gloucester Green. On a rare warm evening, you can sit outside and pretend to be in Campagna (not the easiest of illusions to maintain in Oxford's drab climate, particularly not so close to the coach station), but inside you are transported to a check tableclothed Italian restaurant that could just as easily be in Naples as Oxford, with a map of Italy painted on the ceiling, causing many upturned faces. On arrival, Gino's will always seem packed, but whether it is the
Italian habit of enjoying a meal elbow to elbow with neighbours overtaking our English reserve, or careful placement of tables, the ambience is welcoming and comfortable, without ever seeming overcrowded. If you're out for a romantic evening a duo however, you might want to book the table in the alcove.

As far as Italian restaurants go, it is very traditional, offering a core menu of sempiternally popular dishes - lasagne, penne arrabiata, spaghetti puttanesca, risotto napoletana. There is a short list of pizza. In addition to the main menu is a specials board of more unusual dishes offering so much choice that deliberating over so many tempting options became quite a challenge - the lure of the asparagus risotto may beg a second trip before too long. Finally we settled on a shared starter of bresaola with shavings of parmesan and olive oil, which indicated that the evening was going to go very well. A grated carrot garnish gave a retro touch: one of the charms of Gino's is its lack of pretension. The bresaola was paper thin and melted on the tongue. My companion advised me that the spaghetti carbonara was excellent and the garlic bread was unnecessary but irresistable. Gnocchi sorrentina - a dish loaded with gnocchi, rich tomato sauce and melted mozzarella was almost enough to finish me off, although I just about managed
to squeeze in a dessert too. A bottle of chilled Soave was just over a tenner - the wine list is not extensive but is reasonably priced.

Meals are also keenly priced; expect to pay between £3 and £5 for a starter and £5 and £7 for a filling main course. Our bill for two, with shared starter, two main courses and a pudding plus wine, came to less than £40. The service is generally very good and seems to be undertaken by Gino's extended family, to add to the Napoli illusion. It is advisable to book as Gino's attracts many regulars and usually manages to fill its tables by 8 o'clock on any week night. Forget the Mediterranean urban flash of Branca or the George Street 'Italian' multiples: Gino's is the place to go for good, cheap and old school Italian food.

Abby Chicken