Prepare to be taken on a journey around the Amalfi Coast with this six-course tasting menu. Embrace “La Dolce Vita” – the sweet life — it certainly was one of the sweetest Friday lunch experiences we have had in a long time!
Friday lunch is our favourite way to kickstart the weekend, and this started our weekend in excellent style. Combining elements of both traditional and modern Italian cuisine every dish on this menu at Six by Nico in Leeds gave us sunshine and holiday vibes.
The concept here is that the menu changes every six weeks, giving diners an immersive dining experience, and keeping everyone guessing as to what the next theme is until it’s launched – genius! If you’re looking for somewhere to impress – this is it!
What we ate:
Snacks – Smoked Tomato Arancini – Puttanesca & Basil Emulsion. Recommended by the wonderful Oliver who looked after us throughout our visit. It didn’t disappoint and we will definitely be ordering these again. (snacks are not included in the tasting menu).
Course One – Parmesan Polenta – Espuma, Truffle, Mushroom Ragout. What a way to start! We adore mushrooms so this ticked our boxes straight away. Light, bursting with flavour and excited us for what was to come.
Course Two – Heirloom Tomato – Green Olive Tapenade, Salted Lemon, Lovage Emulsion & Whipped Ricotta. We watched this dish be constructed with absolute passion and love, an Italian summer appeared on a plate in front of our eyes and delivered all the flavours it promised. To be honest if we stopped right there we would have been happy.
Course Three – Spaghetti Nero – Toasted Sourdough, Chilli, Confit Garlic & Scamorza Foam. Can’t beat a bit of squid ink, and it added the perfect amount of salty umami flavour to this dish. Another tick from us.
Course Four – Black Pollock – Bagna Cauda, Zucchini, Braised Fennel, Basil Dressing. OK, now we’re getting to one of our favourite dishes on the menu. This for us was the perfect fish dish, firm yet flaky, slightly sweet yet savoury. Could have eaten two!
Course Five – Trio Of Pork – Belly Of Pork, Pancetta Ham Jam, Nduja Cannelloni, Smoked Onion, Pickled Summer Squash. Here’s our other favourite. As pork lovers, this was simply stunning and that Pancetta Ham Jam needs bottling.
Add On – Crispy King Prawn – Peperoncino Verde Emulsion & Lemon Gel. This is an optional extra dish and not included in the set Tasting Menu, but we had to try it. Thank goodness we did! Huge, and I mean huge prawns in the crispiest and lightest of batter, and the mild, tangy flavour of the Peperoncino and zesty lemon gel worked their magic.
Course Six – Delizia Al Limone – Lemon Mousseline, Polenta Cake, Caramelised White Chocolate, Yoghurt Sorbet. The perfect way to end this amazing menu, buttery yet sharp, it left those Amalfi Coast flavours zinging as a memory.
The verdict:
Everything about this restaurant is impressive, the service, the attention to detail, the passion , the atmosphere – it’s all spot on – even the price.
Huge thanks to Oliver who looked after us and described each dish and accompanying wine perfectly. The open kitchen creates just the right amount of theatre, and it’s perfect for capturing that all important content.
The Amalfi Coast menu is available until 11th August, so you better be quick. One thing is for sure – you will be thanking us. You’re welcome.
The details:
The Six by Nico, six course Amalfi Coast tasting menu is £42, with a matching wine pairing from £33. Lunchtime between 12pm and 4pm.
There is also a new four-course lunch menu available from just £20, perfect for those spontaneous summer lunches enjoyed with friends and family. Each diner will enjoy the amuse bouche and the dessert, with the option to choose between courses two or three for their starter, and four or five for their main.
Six by Nico caters to all dietary requirements, offering a full vegetarian menu for each new menu concept. Plus, customers can swap courses from the meat menu to the veggie alternative, if they wish. Other dietaries and certain allergens can also be catered to upon request, ensuring that everyone can enjoy the best possible dining experience.
Bookings can now be made for the Amalfi Coast menu on the website here: https://www.sixbynico.co.uk/experience-amalfi-coast/
Review and images by Angela Riches. Feature image supplied.
