The famous Fabrizio has opened the doors of his new restaurant in Crouch Hill, situated near the bustling Stroud Green Road.

Islington Gazette: Fabrizio has come to Crouch HillFabrizio has come to Crouch Hill (Image: Archant)

The amiable Italian is bringing his charm to a second location, following the rip-roaring success of his Highgate Hill branch, and by the looks of things, it wont be long until he has ­inspired similar loyalty in the denizens of N4.

The standard was set pretty high, so I was extremely excited for what would be on offer.

Happily the menu features not only favourite dishes from the Archway eatery, but some meals specially created for the new venture.

On entry, the smell of home made bread wafted through the restaurant – a great start as my tummy then started to grumble like an old lady.

The atmosphere was charming, with soft Italian music in the background and the warm rustic orange décor, and we settled down at the table with a chilled prosecco to peruse the menu.

To start, we had some effortlessly tasty garlic bread with melted mozzarella, followed by some fried ­calamari and an intriguing courgette, parma ham and cream cheese croquette.

Then for the main course, an awe-inspiring slow-cooked knuckle of veal in a wine and tomato sauce, alongside the gamberoni linguini – this was a delightful and much more delicate pasta with king prawns. Finally, we shared some delicious home-made strawberry and chocolate ice cream.

The food at Fabrizio’s new place is as good as I expected, and this is a must try for the lucky people of Stroud Green.

Nasreen Halim