Review: Choice and service make for a great dining experience at Colosseo

It's early on a Friday evening and the scene should be set for a quiet straight-from-work meal.

But even at 6.30pm Colosseo is buzzing. It’s not hard to see why.

The menu reveals a wide choice of pasta, steak and fish (including lobster and swordfish) and the rather more unusual; not every restaurant has a special apparently named after a prison.

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Pollo Doncateraz anyone? We’re quickly seated and orders taken.

Italian is my favourite cuisine so I didn’t stray far from the traditional with a starter of brushetta formagio (£5.10) while my partner also opted for a bread-based starter, this time pane fresco alla aglio, which was flatbread with olives (£3.95).

Portions were more than generous and my three pieces of brusheta was served with rocket and balsamic drizzle.

Tasty, but I would’ve preferred buffalo tomatoes rather than cherry. The flatbread and olives was wolfed down. For mains my choice was cannelloni (£8.40) - a lovely, creamy, rich sauce - with a house salad (£3.95), while himself was transported to heaven thanks to mare alla ella (£15.95), a seafood spaghetti- with lashings of scallops, mussels, and king prawns and squid ink pasta - which he pronounced the best Italian meal he’d had a in a long while.

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Bread and pasta equals very filling so , sadly, no room to try what looked like a tempting array of puds. No such qualms for himself, who fell upon the white chocolate and passionfruit cheesecake (£4.95) with relish. Like all of the dishes, it was beautifully presented. Ok, I did have a spoonful and can confirm that it was indeed divine. Cappuccino (£2) to finish came with a cantuccini biscuit. Colosseo opened around two years ago in what is a landmark building on Carr House Road.

Its last incarnation was as the Park Hotel - the former Doncaster Roers’ supporters’ pub- but there is no trace of its former identity in its elegant decor with plain neutral walls and white-clothed tables enhanced by single red roses and tealights.

Service by a team of smart waiters and waitresses is a strength; super-efficient and friendly.Colosseo is in a great position close to the town centre but with extensive car parking that many central venues lack, which adds to its appeal. By the time we left the place had filled up with three birthday parties. Our first visit, but we’ll return.

Colosseo

232 Carr House Road

DN4 5DS 01302 953600