| Ambiance: |  (3.5 / 5) |
| Service: | (2.5 / 5) |
| Value for money: | (3.5 / 5) |
| "Pizza: | (0 / 5) |
So I’m a little bit fussy about the majority of things in life, and when it comes to eating there’s no exception. I don’t like eating past 9.00pm because I’d usually have been snacking throughout the evening to keep ‘hunger locked up’ and by the time it comes to sitting down to eat my evening meal, I will have probably devoured the equivalent of starter and main. Added to this, on this particular outing I’d endured a horrendous, five hour journey from London to the Peak District with Ben and two of his friends. However, we were staying with Ben’s friends and when they suggested going out to a local Italian to eat, I felt my fussiness should remain under wraps, especially as they were giving me a bed for the evening.
We walked in the torrential rain (so much for the forecasted scorcher of a weekend) to a lovely little restaurant called 1530. From the outside it looked like someone’s house, as it was slotted between a row of brick houses with a cute red door. It almost felt like I was entering some form of secret dining society, it was definitely intriguing. Inside, it was as expected from its exterior – cosy, small and welcoming. The décor was elegant, with a black and white colour scheme, soft lighting and ‘romanced’ with tea lights dotted throughout the restaurant. On first impressions, I wasn’t overly impressed with the service as I was a little confused, maybe because I was one of the last few to get in but it felt like we were just lingering in the bar area for no reason. However, the girls of the group and I chose a Chilean Sauvignon Blanc from a pretty great wine list, albeit it being in the cheapest red leather bound folder. We were soon shown to our table, which was lovely – tucked away in the corner, facing the window. I love window seats, and if you can get the one facing the restaurant, then these are generally the best in the house as, if you’re a nosy parker like me, you get to see everything that’s going on both inside and outside.
The menu was so delicious that it made me annoyed at myself for not being hungry and eating too many snacks in the car. Luckily Ben was up for sharing – yes, I know I seem to do this a lot but I’ll always argue my case for sharing food. One – you get to try more than one thing and two – you’re left feeling less guilty for over indulging at the end. Also, it makes decision making easier. I usually hate ordering risotto in a restaurant because you can pretty much guarantee that it won’t be made fresh and to be quite honest, I generally think my recipe tastes better at home. However, the choice of risottos at 1530 just sounded mouth watering and in the end Ben and I settled for a crayfish and chorizo risotto for our starter, and then a brie and panchetta pizza for our main. A load of breads and olives had also been ordered for the table, which further added to my annoyance at not feeling hungry as I cannot resist these two things, and as I’ve mentioned before – I truly think the bread served in a restaurant offers a reflection of the place. And yep, this bread was pretty darn good.
The risotto came, along with another bottle of Sauvignon and Ben and I weren’t disappointed. The girl next to me had ordered beetroot and Lancashire bomber risotto which I sneaked a taste of. Both were delicious but I think if ours had slightly more crayfish in, it would have won hands down. The rice was al dente, the sauce was creamy and it was seasoned perfectly, however, the presentation could have been worked on. It was just a dollop of rice on a white dish – at least put some form of garnish on top. (And I’m not talking parsley before anyone grumbles!)
XXX PICTURE COMING XXX
Moving onto the most important part of the meal – the pizza. All I can say is, wow. I believe it’s the most positive sign if you can’t stop eating something when you’re on the verge of exploding from over-eating. This happened with 1530’s pizza – the topping combination was simply perfect and the dough was so good, I could have easily gone without the toppings. I personally don’t like my crusts too thin, and this didn’t disappoint – it was light, doughy and had a gorgeous, almost amber colour to it. In short, Ben and I devoured it.
A fantastic selection of puddings were offered, to which I actually laughed at before politely refusing, and bills were paid. At £25 per head for a tasty three course meal and great wine, I’d definitely go back. The only thing letting 1530 down was the service which was slightly slow and very sarcastic, but this could have been a result of her relationship with the hosts.
Recommendation –
Extra Information:
Address: Cruck Barn, Cross Street, Castleton, Hope Valley, S33 8WH
Phone: 01433 621870
Website: http://www.1530therestaurant.co.uk/index-3.html
NTK: You might need to phone ahead and pre-book as it’s quite a small venue.
